Author: CrazyPrune

Title: Midnight Show

A/N – I'd just like to say a huge thanks to MissJayne, who is responsible for getting me involved with this month's Jibbsfest, for bugging me to write when I desperately needed to, and for helping immensely with a last minute beta. So thank you!

And yes…I have been listening to The Killers far too much!

Halloween: her favourite night of the year. If she needed Caf Pows to keep her going on every other day of the year, this was the one day she lived for, the one day she thrived and flourished completely caffeine free and today certain people were ruining her fun. Abby glared at a particular two of the images she had pinned to the wall, the images of her 'family' – she loved each and every one of them in their own way, but today two of them were driving her crazy.

She would swear that she could hear the shouting through the 4 floors between her lab and the Director's office, even if she did have hyper-sensitive-Gibbs-detector hearing, she shouldn't be able to hear their arguing. The clock on the wall struck 3pm and no noise rang out from it, instead an alarm clock on the computer chimed out the time 2 seconds later and that was when she made up her mind – her foot stomped into the ground, marking the time and place the decision was made. She was going to sort this out the best way she knew how – her family were all going to spend Halloween Abby-style, and if they didn't want to they would have no say in the matter. She had a hell of a long road ahead of her and almost no time to do it.

Upon Abby's say so the meeting had been called, the time set and so they arrived. Filing in one after the other – Ziva, McGee, Tony, and Ducky; she lined them up like an army and gave each of them a hug in turn, hushing any question with her best Gibbs-glare. They were her army and would help make this happen.

"Do you know what day it is?"

Ziva piped up with the answer, "Abby, it is the 31st of October."

"Exactly." The Israeli woman looked at the scientist and then her counterparts with a quizzical look held across her features for she did not know what was meant.

"I think she means what is celebrated today." Abby smiled at Ducky for his appreciation of her favourite night out of the year.

"Halloween!!" Tony shouted out to the room and anyone else who was listening - in response the Goth almost bounced, excited at the thought, a smile of glee plastered across her face and her giggles broke through:

"Do you have any plans tonight, actually I don't care if you have any plans tonight, not that I don't care just that none of your plans could be as much fun as this one – and I'm not trying to say that you don't know how to have fun – just that you'll understand when I tell you. You're all coming over to mine tonight for a Halloween party and then we'll go trick or treating, of course you don't have to come, but I really really want you to but I'll understand if you have a really strong commitment it's just that I need your help cos Jenny and Gibbs need to stop arguing and…and I could do with you all coming and it won't be as much fun without you and I…." She took a deep breath.

All four looked at her through incredulous eyes as they tried to translate her words from the jungle they'd been delivered in.

"And you need to all dress up." She finished her train of thought.

"Abby," Tony spoke first, as the first to decipher the woman's words. "So, you want us, to come to a Halloween party…"

"…Go trick or treating…" They each began to finish the other's sentences as the paraphrasing moved along the line.

"…and to help you with the Director and Gibbs, that's very sweet of you Abigail dear, but you have to let them…"

"What's trick or treating?" All of the eyes in the room were on Ziva, even Ducky's although he excused his action immediately.

"Zeeeeeva, how do you not know that?" Tony's voice drew out her name in mock insult.

"I do not know everything Tony!" She looked pleadingly at Abby to explain, clearly this was an event that the other woman enjoyed greatly and therefore she must be an expert on.

Ducky was kind enough to explain before he let Abby rant on about it too much. "It is a tradition where children and teenagers dress up and go to the houses in their neighbourhood on Halloween and say 'Trick or Treat' – in theory the people have to give them sweets or they will 'trick' the house, I do believe the children like to put toilet roll all over the cars or something silly like that. Although it is frowned upon to 'trick' someone even if they don't give sweets, isn't it Abigail?"

Abby nodded. Of course she'd never taken water pistols with her or done anything of the sort.

"Oh. Do we not need a child for this?" Tony shot her a look that said 'what on earth are you on about'.

Ducky chuckled. "Oh my dear, there are at least two in the room already!" Ziva caught his meaning and offered a sly smile in return.

Abby giggled

"Anyone in?" The Goth's dark wide eyes begged them to go long with her idea.

Tony nodded his agreement, as did Ducky; Tim looked between his companions in the room, sure he didn't really want to do it, but sure that there was no realistic way out of it. Ziva almost jumped at the chance: "Of course Abby, I should love to try something new."

The black hearse slipped through the darkening night almost completely unnoticed; all that could be seen of its driver was a pair of glittering white eyes and near-white teeth as her mouth was contorted into a bright smile. She was relishing in the chilling feel of the ominous night and in the knowledge of what she was about to do. In the back of the vehicle were laid out three sets of clothing, clothing for what were about to become her unwilling hostages.

The car came to an abrupt halt outside a house that she knew well: unusually the lights were on this very night, strange considering the owner, but tonight was about things being different and she adored the idea of the night being special - for tonight was her night. The slam of the car door was muffled in the heavy air, clasped in her tight grip were two of the items previously hidden on the back-seat, a high pitched laugh escaped her at the thought of what she was about to do and it fulfilled her character perfectly. Standing tall and reading to pounce she made her way towards the occupied house, ready to unleash her kind of terror.

The door was open, and with a stealthy tread she made her way across the wooden floors and towards the closed door from which the light was emitted, her ears pricked up like a bat as she heard the voice contained in that room – laughter. Poised behind the portal, she gripped the handle tightly and burst into the room.

The two men stood in absolute shock and silence, never having expected, heard or even had a gut-feeling about the intruder's presence. They looked from one to the other in fear at the objects held in the woman's hand and realised their fate in an instant.

"I'm not wearing that, Abby!"

She smiled, "Oh yes you are."

Tobias chuckled at his friend's predicament as a young girl skidded past Abby and threw herself into his arms; dressed as a pink fairy, she wore a huge smile on her face. She exclaimed at the sight of one of her favourite aunts, dressed head to toe in blood red devil's leather and plastic and her outfit topped off with flashing red horns and a trident.

"You like?" She asked the young girl. The disapproving looks were evident from the two men in the room, one in particular who disliked the idea of his near-enough daughter dressed like that.

Emily nodded fiercely. She followed her father's gaze to the objects Abby held out as an offering in her hands. "Does Daddy get to dress up too?"

"Of course he does Emily." Tobias groaned in response.

"Daddy, hurry up!"

The little girl was excited, she ran to and fro around the house telling the other two adults again and again that her Daddy was going to take her trick-or-treating. She could barely contain her joy, a fact they would all be thankful for later when she dropped straight off to sleep.

They were waiting on a reluctant Fornell to emerge dressed in the offered outfit that Abby had brought: to that moment, only she knew what it was, and despite Gibbs' prying questions she had refused to tell. He only assumed it wasn't that bad, because if there was one thing he knew about Abby, it was that she would make his worse.

Just then the lock on the bathroom door clicked open and Tobias appeared in the doorway of the kitchen, dressed in a dinner suit and a look of confusion – one that was mirrored on the other man's face. "Abs," Gibbs questioned, concerned there was something more going on, "I thought these were meant to be Halloween costumes?"

"They are," she announced. Smiling brightly at the image of an uncomfortable Fornell in a suit and bow tie " – it's just not finished yet!" She shoved a matching dinner suit into Gibbs' hands and sent him out of the room.

Extracting a huge make-up bag from nowhere she turned to a suddenly nervous Fornell and offered a huge grin at his little girl. Emily let out a big giggle and bounced when she saw the items so greatly offending her father. "Can I help?"

Abby too bounced in time with the little girl, ecstatic at the idea – "Of course! Where to begin…" she mused to herself.

Tentatively, Jack Sparrow emerged through the kitchen door 10 minutes later, dressed loosely in the old looking ragged clothes that Abby had forced upon him and concerned as to what else the girl had in mind. His fears were realised as he rounded the corner and came face to face with the scientist's creation: a monster. Stood, looking incredibly sorry for himself, was a Frankenstein's monster; his gaze drifted from the two smiling girls at the table back to the creation before him – somewhere in the midst of concern over what she was going to do to him, Gibbs could not help but laugh at his unrecognisable helpless friend.

"Don't you laugh too much Gibbs; it's your turn next." The urge to run was growing with every millimetre the Goth's smile rose, instead he found himself pushed firmly down into a seat by the very same monster he had just laughed at and prepared himself for the worst – it couldn't possibly be any worse than Frankenstein.

Gibbs fidgeted and found his own glare mirrored back at him. "Stop it – it'll only take a few minutes." He could feel the powder that was rubbed onto his face and the tickling of the fake moustache that was pressed against his upper lip; he was beginning to regret allowing himself to be drawn into this insanity. "As much as we didn't like it, it's a shame you got rid of your moustache, Gibbs – it would've been so much easier." He ignored her jibes. Jumping up in protest as eye make-up was added, this time he received a more menacing look – he held still.

Abby gave a satisfied smile and stood up, announcing that she was finished just a few minutes later – her regular use of heavy eye make-up made it so much easier to apply. She turned him around so that the FBI agent could admire her work and clapped gleefully at her achievement. The howl of laugher that escaped Fornell made even Abby giggle and little Emily too, but Gibbs remained stony faced.

"Lighten up, Gibbs. You've got to do this for me, so why don't you try and enjoy it – everyone else is going." She picked up her supplies and thrust them into the hands of both the agents and gestured for them to follow her, picking up the brightly coloured little fairy-girl she hugged her close and whispered her words of thanks. Off they went into the night.

Gibbs and Fornell waited in the car as they had been told to, like a pair of chastised little children who had behaved badly and in their minds' eye they were being punished, that was apparently not how their captor saw it; instead she figured she was doing them a favour. Still, they waited. 20 minutes passed before they saw any sign of Abby returning with Emily and whoever or whatever she had disappeared to collect; the pair were beginning to get frustrated.

All the while, Abby and Emily were besieging their latest victim: Jenny. She was beginning to get irritated with the Goth standing in front of her, puppy eyes and using Emily as emotional blackmail against her.

"Abby, I can't come – I have lots of other things to do."

"Like what?"

"Like everything other than go to some party." Jenny bit her lip at those words, she'd clearly upset the other woman, something she had no intention of doing and it seemed that the scientist had Emily agreeing to cry at any second so that they would get their way. The dress was beautiful, she wouldn't say otherwise, for a Halloween costume it wasn't all that bad, a little too revealing perhaps, but she'd never say that was a bad thing. To top it all off the girl had gone to a great deal of trouble in order to get her to join in with this party.

"Aunt Jenny." She looked down to the little voice that demanded her full attention. "Please, it won't be as fun without you – even Daddy's dressed up."

A smirk curved at the edges of her lips. Tobias Fornell dressed up for Halloween would be something she surely couldn't miss. Yet in the back of her mind was a warning telling her that Gibbs was going to be there and the last thing she needed was an argument with him. The two sides of the scales were impeccably balanced at that moment. "Who's going Abs?"

"Just the team, we borrowed Emily cos we needed an under 10 year old and we couldn't not invite Fornell." Abby zipped her lips tightly before she said anymore and mentally Gibbs slapped herself for 'sort-of' lying to the Director – then again, she hadn't said whether Gibbs was going to be there or not. She watched as Jenny's eyes looked down to the pleading little girl, begging for her aunty to come and join the party and pre-empted the question that she was clearly thinking. "By the way, Fornell's dressed as Frankenstein, and Emily and I did the make-up."

Just the mental image of that was making her more inclined towards going. Jenny let out a little giggle at the thought - perhaps she could go. She lent down and pulled the little girl – her "niece" - into her arms; she looked up at Abby and nodded her head. Emily's flailing arms almost knocked Jen out as the little girl realised what was happening. "Give me 10 minutes."

Abby and Emily could have been twin sisters if their smiles of glee were anything to go by.

"Jenny," she turned on the stair to see the Goth calling up to her, "Make sure you wear those boots you have – they'll look amazing."

Exactly 9 minutes and 46 seconds later, Jenny descended the stairs dressed as a pirate girl, the short red dress billowing out in ruffles and exposing a large amount of skin, with black boots, fishnet tights and dark make-up; Abby thought she looked stunning. "W..ow!"

"I could say the same about you too, Abby." She gave the girl a sly look before turning back to Emily and straightening out the little girl's fairy outfit – "You look very pretty as well tonight, Em."

"Here goes." Abby called out as she led them out of the door.

Jenny came to a halt by the back door of the hearse when she realised exactly who was sitting there, she cast a heavy scowl at Abby for setting her up and then another to the man who was winding her up so greatly. "Abs!" they called out in tandem.

She'd stolen through the darkness and was standing between the two in seconds. In another two seconds she clasped the first bracelet of her 'borrowed' handcuffs around Gibbs' wrist and in the following seconds the other half locked around the Director's. Both pulled away from their entrapment but resulted in only managing to knock each other off balance, Abby stood back, arms folded across her chest and admired her handiwork: "Now you two will have to get on for the rest of the evening, because I'm not letting you go until you stop arguing".

The pair looked from one to the other and across the face of their captor – she seemed dead serious – neither was happy about that. Jenny sent both Abby and Gibbs a stormy glare, in frustration she pulled once more against the handcuffs bringing Gibbs flying against the side of the car as she climbed in. Now, she was chained to the one man she wanted the least to do with at the moment and she was dressed to match him as Jack Sparrow's pirate girl – just what she wanted!

"Don't punish me – it's not my fault. She set the both of us up."

"…whatever! Just don't wind me up tonight Jethro." She slid across the backseat, dragging him across behind her and sat in stony silence.

Sitting in the passenger seat and watching the situation unfold, Fornell could not help but let out a little laugh at the stupidity of the situation – he was met with a cold angry glare from both Jenny and Gibbs and took it as his warning to stay quiet – none of them was willing to risk screaming at each other in front of their little fairy. Abby and Emily on the other hand continued their giggling despite the huge silent argument that was unfolding and began to sing along to the spooky music that the former had put on.

The journey to the party remained as such.

Abby's apartment was festively decorated and suitably dark for her liking – there was even a tiny Jack-o-lantern attached to the door knocker. Inside, Ziva and Tony had been left to make the final touches to the rooms whilst Abby had gone off on her crusades in search of the Director and Gibbs, and apparently she had a surprise to share too.

Voices could be heard coming up the corridor, and the pair stood for a moment, admiring their work before scrambling into the hiding places they'd originally found; Tony crouched behind the sofa; when the door opened he would be completely hidden and they would walk past him completely unknowing. Ziva hid elsewhere, ensuring that Tony would not see where she had gone.

The key turned in the lock; it clicked. They entered; an unconventional group if there ever was one, from the devil to the fairy they covered every shade from wanting to be there to wanting the ground to swallow them up. The room was dark and very little could be made out through the heaviness of the black air – Abby reached for the light switch.

"…RARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!"

The outburst came from nowhere; suddenly in the middle of the just lit room down on all fours was a menacing wolf-like creature. A scream echoed from the little girl but rapidly dissolved into a giggle as a mask was removed and she recognised their attacker. All of the other entrants gave a stifled jump at the suddenness of the intrusion, but relaxed instantly so as not to show their momentary fear.

"Tony," Abby sung out, "Can you get their coats please?"

Gibbs started as to take his jacket off, pulling at the handcuffs as he did so and dragging Jenny's arm behind it.

"Oi, there's no way you're gonna get that off – you're chained to me remember."

"Well, I didn't ask for it did I?" She scowled at his response; it was hardly her fault either. For once she was glad she hadn't brought a jacket, having opting for a shawl instead and having intended on braving the cold.

Through the door appeared Ducky and McGee in quick succession, the first dressed as though he'd just been hit by a car, a shirt and trademark bow-tie, only his entire outfit was shredded and torn, a mauled mask covering his face and what one could only assume was fake blood smeared down his neck and across his arms and hands. The nearest description Tony could place on him was surely a crazed zombie from some movie or the other. Emerging from behind him was McGee dressed in an equally torn green shirt and pants, green horns poking up from his head and inelegant wings sprouting from his back; his outfit was completed with the warriors sword he held in his hands.

"Oh My God," Tony circled the younger agent, crying out in laughter, "Probie's dressed as a fairy!"

"I'm not a fairy, I'm a Goblin."

"Whatever, McFairy!" The group could not help but laugh a little.

"Tony," this time it was Abby's voice, "remember to take their coats." He bowed in acceptance of Abby's queen-like authority over them and took Ducky's jacket, offering one last mocking glare at the Probie before turning to hang up the coats.

"AAGGGGGGGHHHHH"

The girlish scream echoed around the room followed by a load thwack was a body hit the floor; everyone turned. Tony found himself lying on his back, knocked off his feet by the shock of what had jumped out at him. Ziva pulled herself to her feet; she had launched herself at him in a surprise attack after having hung upside down in her very bat-like fashion from the hat and coat stand in the corner of the room. It was almost ironic considering her vampire outfit was as immaculate as the vampire character she was playing.

"You deserve that DiNozzo." Gibbs murmured quietly enough that no-one other than Jenny could hear. She let out a little giggle in response as DiNozzo ran a hand over what appeared was a very painful bruise on the back of his head. "That's got to hurt more than one of your headslaps." Jethro smirked.

"Don't let that make you think I'm not still pissed at you." Her eyes had gone from jovial to playfully narrow in one second flat.

"I wouldn't dream of it."

"Remind me again what you American's call this?"

Abby launched into an explanation of Trick-or-Treating. Tony glared at Ziva's complete ignorance of the event; she had gotten to use the opportunity to humiliate him and for some reason Abby seemed to have taken the other woman under her wing and was carefully educating her in the various customs of Halloween instead of glaring her down, as she did to anyone else, for not understanding the sheer importance of the event.

Jenny rolled her eyes. She saw Ducky's ears prick up as Abby was explaining the custom and she could clearly see that there was a story on the way; as much as she loved the dear man, his stories were endless and this entire evening was beginning to bore her. Abby would call her a blasphemer, but in her opinion Halloween was a children's holiday and there was no point in celebrating it if you didn't have children. She stopped walking suddenly. Gibbs was pulled backwards as she rooted herself to the spot; he turned around shocked and annoyed by her actions.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm doing you a favour."

"And how exactly are you doing that? The last time I checked, cracking open the back of my head was not a good thing, and before you ask, no I do not think it would add to the 'spookiness' of this stupid outfit."

"Dressing up is good for you – self expression heals the wounded heart!" She nodded towards the ongoing party. "Now, listen!" He opened his mouth in protest, but she glared back at him, mirroring the look on his own face.

"…you know Abigail, that Halloween was not always an American tradition?"

"Really Ducky, do tell." As the pair watched on, they could see various reactions from the team, only Abby, Ziva and little Emily at all interested in his explanation.

"Well, it in fact originates in Scotland where children would dress up as demons and ghouls as a form of protection so that the evil spirits would not recognise them. Did you know that in fact it used to be called…"

"See?" Jenny rolled her eyes at his nonchalant response at the lecture they had managed to avoid.

The pair kept silent for a moment longer, neither wishing to speak until they were ready for the others inevitable criticisms. Lagging behind, there had to be at least 100 feet between them and the other group and they were well out of earshot, blending in with all the other creatures that graced the street of the night.

"You realise that by avoiding the rest of the team, you've voluntarily chosen to spend the rest of the evening in my company?"

She rose their joined hands into the air to emphasis her point. "It's hardly as though I had much choice is it – I'd have to stay with you regardless!"

"I'm not that bad!" Her eyes widened in mock shock as he continued:

"You could be chained to Ducky and have to listen to his stories all evening…" he was teasing now, slowly drawing out that smile from her, even if it was like pulling teeth.

"At least Ducky doesn't spend his life trying to make my life more complicated or make me have to shout at him day-in-day-out."

"Jen…" He placated at her, he certainly didn't want to get into this argument, not now.

She went to put her hands up in surrender but ended up taking his with her, wrenching his joints in the process. "Oh, I'm sorry Jethro."

He shook his head to say that it was nothing, and accepted her apology without his trademark retort; perhaps it was better to leave that one out this time. "So, I figure that if we're going to be chained together all evening that we might as well enjoy each other's company."

She smiled at him, happily receiving the olive branch that he was offering her. "I guess so."

Emily was asleep, a fact they were all thankful for; a young girl of six, as sweet as she was, tended to be incredibly hyperactive after having gorged her way through an incredulous excess of sweets, so much even Abby had been wondering why it hadn't made her child-prodigy sick yet. Even through all the sugary-sticky goodness, even she had to admire the girl's determination to eat all of her sweets. Tobias on the other hand, did not like the situation at all. His daughter would be hyper still in the morning and the bit he really didn't like – the girl was currently sleeping in a coffin – despite Emily's insistence upon it he had a particularly bad feeling about what might happen if the girl's mother found out. In response, Gibbs had given him a drink.

The alcohol was beginning to flow freely and the 8 adults found themselves draped over the various pieces of furniture and the floor of the living room. Jenny wriggled a bit at her uncomfortable position on the chair's arm and found herself complained to by her companion for the night as her boots kicked him once again. For some reason she couldn't understand he was sitting in an arm chair and she had been left with the multiple options of how to sit, whilst chained to him, without sitting in his lap – that would just be too embarrassing!

"Jen stop it."

"What?"

"Why don't you just sit still?"

"Why did you have to make us sit here?"

"Because I did!"

Their childish banter began to attract the attention of the team who playing with tarot cards suddenly found something far more interesting to watch.

"Oh that's a real…" She pouted and glared at him. "Well, I'm uncomfortable, so get used to it."

"There's a very easy solution to that!" He grabbed her hip with his free hand and tugged playfully as though to pull her to sit on him.

"No!"

"Why not?"

"Just no."

"Yes."

"N…O!!!" She squealed as the fingers caught tightly around her hip and she landed with a thump in his lap his free arm wrapped tightly around her waist so that she could not escape. Jenny fought his hold further and fruitlessly, she took a heavy breath and took her feet off the floor so that all of her small weight was on him.

Giggles erupted around the room from amused onlookers, from one character in particular whose master-plan this was all a part of. Abby gave a sly smile to her friend before announcing her master plan. "Who here believes in ghosts?"

"Ghosts?...seriously Abs!"

"Gibbs!" She complained against his unbelieving protest. "These aren't just ghosts; they're spectres of the night, the unsettled souls of the dead…" Her voice trailed off, her tone deliberately spooky. As she spoke she stood and began to light the candles positioned discreetly around the area they were sitting in, just enough to allow them to be able to see. The main light went out. Abby shuffled her way into the centre of the room, a vanity-table mirror placed onto the floor in front of her. An eerie shadow of light was cast across her in such a perfect way that it must've been something she'd practised; yet that was not what first embedded itself in the minds of those who watched her – instead in the flickering candle light a slight shiver flitted across the surface of each of their skin and they watched in anticipation, their disbelief suspended purely by the tiniest of touches to the atmosphere.

"Have you ever heard of Bloody Mary?"

Despite the ludicrousness of the idea, little unseen gasps of breath were drawn by Ducky, Tim, Ziva and even Tobias, all four throwing themselves into the story. Gibbs remained unconvinced, but as he felt Jenny shift uncomfortably under his grasp, how she was sitting not the problem this time, he felt himself being reeled in. Whispers of "no," sounded around the room, almost echoing in the vast blackness.

"Well, a long time ago there was a young woman known by just…that…name! She was very strange, often disappearing for weeks at a time, it was said that she could often be heard chanting the same words to a song – a song in a language no-one, absolutely no-one knew!" Sharp intakes of breath sounded around the room, circling the storyteller like they were controlled by an external force. "The girls in Mary's village said that she was a witch, but nobody wanted to believe them, except for one local girl. One chilling winter night, the other girl, who has never had a name, heard of this and they say that she was driven crazy by the discovery, she tore out her eyes…"

Gasp.

"…and burned her face,"

Gasp

"…so that she could not be recognised by the witch-girl Mary, and she killed Mary with her own bedroom mirror. Mary's body was never found, and all that was left in her room was the empty case of the mirror – not a single shard of glass. They say that the story doesn't end there, that when Mary's mother looked into her own looking-glass and called her daughter's name in the tears of grief that Mary came to her, her face appearing over her mother's left shoulder – 13 shards of glass embedded deep in her skull and blood that trailed down and hid her identity!"

"Oooh." Ziva was strangely spooked by the tale and was not alone, on one side McGee clung to her hand – hidden from the sight of an equally shaken Tony. Tobias and Ducky were hooked to her every word and Jenny and Gibbs too.

"What happened, Abigail?"

"Duck-man," her eyes suddenly shot to him like a medium possessed. "That is what no-one quite knows…yet…it is told that Mary still searches for her murderer in the mirrors of any girl that calls her name…thirteen times. They also say that because she cannot recognise her murderer that often her anger attacks and disfigures anyone who dares to call to her!"

Jenny let out an involuntary shiver as Abby's eyes fell on her and she leant back against Jethro's body in an attempt to control her impromptu shaking fear, his grip on her tightened and for the first time in the evening she was glad for it.

"I," Abby began, an eerie mist falling over her words and actions "think that we should try; I think that in fact, Jenny should do it."

The tiniest sigh of relief left the bodies of the other team members who dreaded having to do it. All of the white eyes of the room fell onto the Director and she crowded back further with irrational fear, a fear that she had to swallow as she reached to grip Jethro's hand on the side that they were joined.

A warning was offered to the room, it was in Abby's words, but they did not sound like Abby's words; if the city were shaking in an earthquake that would be how the room felt in that moment. "I wouldn't anger Bloody Mary if I were you."

A silent nod was all Jenny could add in response. An inaudible whisper in her ear from a comforting voice told her that she was not alone as she slipped from the seat to kneel on the floor in front of the mirror – the man she was chained to came with her, taking up his place at her right side; the rest of the group crowded behind her.

Suddenly, all of the candles but the one below the mirror went out. Jenny gripped that hand tighter – hers was the only face that was lit up in the reflection, the most that could be seen of the others was white eyes and teeth and slowly fading outlines. Abby took up her place on Jenny's left hand side, taking the older woman's other hand into hers.

The chanting began: Quicker at first, but becoming more hesitant on everyone's part as they neared the 10th chant.

"Bloody Mary."

A pause held fort in the room.

"Bloody Mary…Bloody Mary."

Jenny's eyes widened as she took one last glance into the mirror, hesitance taking over as she considered the last chant – the group followed her lead: "Bloody Mary!"

An ear-piercing noise rang out in Jenny's ear and she flinched painfully – so high pitched that it was almost an inaudible dog whistle, yet it rung through her ears like a woman's scream. She shook in unrecognisable fear. Her eyes slammed closed, terrified to look; almost by the sheer power that was held in the room she could feel her eyelids being levered apart, like there was something that wanted her to see it. First her eyes went right, determined not to look but even as she did so they gravitated left, just up from her left shoulder. There was an unrecognisable disfigured face.

Jenny screamed! She screamed more than she had ever before, like a reflex she twisted, ripping her eyes from whatever demon she beheld in her gaze and flung herself into Gibbs' arms, fixing her eyes shut and refusing to open them.

The lights were back on. It was the first thing she'd noticed, even through shielded eyes, she could tell; an arm was wrapped around her back holding her in a close embrace and she slowly dared to wink open one eye. Her surroundings were long different from the last ones she had seen; the first thing she met was a pair of grey-blue eyes, something so familiar that they comforted her and drew her from her terrified trance. As she looked around she met the faces of the team, of Fornell, the sympathetic eyes of Ducky and the excited eyes of Abby.

"Wow!" was all the young woman could say.

Jenny looked at her puzzled and Abby offered an equally jubilant response:

"You screamed so loud, you must've seen something amazing – that's never happened before."

She shook her head. "And I never want to do anything like that again."

As Jethro walked a still shaken Jenny from his car, which had mysteriously appeared, he held back on her hand as tightly as she did him, in a vice-grip that told her he wasn't going to let go anytime soon. They crossed the road towards her house together, their wrists were still chained with his cuffs and Abby had made no offer to change that matter; then again, with how close they'd been that evening, neither had either of them. Apparently, he was perfectly sure this was all part of her master-plan, the key to the cuffs were at the Director's house and if he drove her home - he'd already held to that part of the deal - then he could unchain himself. He had a feeling that Abby had at least thought through the idea that it would lead to something else – if there was one thing he could rely on Abby for it was interfering.

Standing on the top step outside her front door, she turned to him and met the sea of blue that she'd been so dependent on for reassurance just a few hours before.

"Thank you for tonight, Jethro…" she started, but trailed off, not exactly sure what she wanted to say.

"What are you thanking me for – it's Abby that made you go to the party."

"I know." She pondered in her own thoughts for a moment, "but it was you who made me relax and stop stressing about work. It was a good feeling."

"Yet again, I say thank Abby – or blame her if you want, she was the one who did this." He lifted their intertwined hands and signalled to the handcuffs.

Jenny giggled ever so lightly, a smile lingering across her features. She met his eyes once more, wanting to say so much more, but holding back; she could tell he could sense the moment as well.

His words broke the silence, a slight awkwardness setting in: "Maybe we should get these off then?"

Silently she agreed, leading him into her house, and flicking the lights on. Their eyes fell within seconds to the small shiny object hanging off of the end of the banister, attached with a thin red ribbon and a tiny white note was sitting at the foot of the stairs; it read 'Sorry' and that was all. Together they each gave a little laugh for Abby's childish scheme and her simple cut-and-run apology.

Gibbs took the silver object and turned to his companion, deep in the perfect emerald jewels of her soul he could see the tiniest hint of reluctance to separate their connection but he knew that he must for otherwise he would want to stay like this forever – not a great plan when she was Director and he hated politicians. He pressed his lips to her forehead as he turned the key in the lock and the bands pulled apart; the grip she had on his hand tightened.

Making light of the situation was all that he knew to do. "DiNozzo would probably use this moment to announce that he knew of a better way to use these!" He felt some of the tension leave her body in the smirk she hid into his shoulder, relinquishing his hand and pulling herself flush with his body, taking the opportunity of a free arm to finally pull him into a proper hug. Gibbs tightened his hold on her, not daring to speak as he felt the importance of their situation and yet he knew he had to let her go as the tenderness of the moment began to change when she did not let go, but held onto him just as surely. "Jen?" he whispered into her ear, but she shushed him, pulling back slightly and taking a step back and up onto the lowest stair so that their faces were level, not allowing their contact to break.

Jenny leant forward, so close to him that it made him dizzy as she watched the entirety of his emotions in his eyes – she knew how to read him and there was nothing she couldn't see in the depths of those oceans of blue. Her breath was sending him insane as he felt it brush against his lips – so close. She finished what she had started, knowing his feelings and intentions without so much as a word or movement from him, and she most certainly knew what she wanted – even with a light mist of alcohol, what she wanted shined brightly through. She kissed him softly, a brush of lips at first, but only until his hand found her hair and she found herself consumed by a sensation that was so foreign to her, yet so distantly familiar that it dizzied her.

Jethro pulled away, aware of what he wanted, but also too aware of his concerns for her; he pressed another kiss to her hair and untangled his fingers from the silken strands. "I should go."

The feel of air between them and on their skin burnt them both, but he backed far enough away that he could not instinctively reach for her; it was a purposeless exercise as she took another step towards him, the slightly messy look of her hair and rumpled clothes driving him crazy. She reached for him, when there was no-where to go, a hand curled around the back of his neck and she lifted herself up onto her toes and murmured against his lips:

"No you shouldn't."