Disclaimer: I do not own NCIS or any of its characters. All rights go to the producers.
Authors Note: Thank you to everyone for the 8,385 hits! I'm sorry for the irregular postings of the chapters; holidays are always hectic in my family, but to make up for it here is a slightly longer chapter. Enjoy =)
Chapter 16, 14th December, Becky's perspective;
"So guys are you going? It's going to be really fancy this year 'cause it's being held in the Garden Palace, and everyone knows how posh that place is… " Abby rambles as she bursts into the Bull pen.
"Abby what are you talking about?" Dad asks
"The Christmas party of course!" Abby pretty much yells
"You know Abby it's not that much of a party but a function where the Secretary of the Navy, gets to show us off and take our credit, while we have to stand there and make polite conversation for a whole evening." Dad says and receives a glare from Abby.
"Don't be a Scrooge Tony." Abby replies and continues to glare.
"I'm going." McGee replies trying to get back to the subject "What about you guys?"
"Of course I'm going that's why I'm asking?" Abby responds
"Dad can we go?" I beg, and he hesitates "Please, please, please, please!"
"Fine!" Dad sighs
"Yes!" I cheer "Are you going Ziva?"
"Yeah, I suppose seeing as everyone else is." She replies.
"This party is going to be awesome!" Abby squeals and jumps up and down.
"Calm down Abs! How many Caf-Pows have you had?" Dad asks
"A few." Abby replies obviously lying. "So who's going to ask Gibbs if he is coming?" she asks and we all fall silent.
"Well considering that you're his favourite I think you should do it." Dad replies with a grin.
"Fine!" Abby huffs and leaves the ball pen
19th December, Abby's perspective;
"Hey Ziva." I call after her; she stops walking and waits for me to catch up.
"What's down Abby?" she ask.
"I think you mean 'what's up', and I was wondering if you wanted to go shopping to get something for the party."
"Yeah, sure I'd love to Abby."
"Ok, I'll see you later then." I reply
"See you then Abby." She replies and walks towards the bullpen. A couple of minutes later and Becky is running towards me…
"Did you do it?" she asks,
"Yep phase one is complete!" I announce
"Great, now make sure she gets a beautiful dress, she has to look fabulous!" She tells me.
"What are you going to wear?" I ask
"Dad took me shopping last Sunday so I've got it covered." She replies, "Sorry Abby but I've got to go, Dad told me to be back in a couple of minutes." She says with a wave and rushes back off to the bullpen, while I make my way to my lab.
Later that day after work …
"Abby slow down!" Ziva laughs as I drag her into the nearest store.
"No way, if we're slow we won't have enough time to find the perfect dresses!" I respond.
"Let me guess that this dress is for McGee." She says and my cheeks start to burn red, "Ha, you so like him!" she teases.
"Yeah, but you like Tony!" I tease back
"Touché." She replies and quickens her pace to match mine.
"Oh, that shop looks good." I say as I pull her towards a fancy looking boutique, "Wow!" is all I can say as we step through the door.
"I thought places like these were only in the movies." Ziva tells me as she looks around at the mass of dresses.
"Yeah well, normally they are." I reply as I carefully run my hand along one of the many rails.
"Where do we start?" she asks and I grin
"Here." I tell her and begin searching through the rails of dresses.
"Ok." She replies and heads towards another rail.
An hour and a half later and we've reached the back of the shop.
"Find anything?" I ask
"Yeah, I found loads of things." She exclaims and points towards a small pile of four dresses, "What about you?"
"I found three which I love."
"So what now?"
"We try these bad boys on!" I reply giving her my best DiNozzo grin.
"What 'bad boys'?" she asks completely confused.
"It's just an expression Ziva!"
"But it makes no sense!"
"Come on!" I say and pull her to the dressing rooms. "We'll take it in turns, now go and try something on!" I say and push her towards a dressing room.
"Fine." She mutters and pulls the curtain across and starts to change.
"Wow!" I say after a couple of minutes bringing a smile to her face.
"Are you sure 'cause it's a bit plain."
"Go and try the others on if you don't like it!" I reply and she smiles
"I thought it was your go!"
"I'll go twice after this."
"Ok." She sighs and pulls the curtain too again. After a couple of minutes Ziva returns but this time she is wearing a different black dress.
"The other one was better right?"
"Yeah, this one's just a bit too bold."
"Ok, I'll get changed then." She says and returns to her dressing room. After a couple of minutes she returns but this time she is in her normal clothes. "Your turn!" she announces and I head towards the dressing room she just vacated. After a few minutes I return wearing a floor length burgundy ball gown.
"So what do you think?" I ask
"It's um…different." Ziva replies
"Good or bad different?"
"It's not you." She replies honestly "It too, oh what's the word?" she struggles and waves her hands trying to symbolise something "Big, no, swollen, defiantly not. Puffy? Yes, the dress is defiantly too puffy, it does not look right." She concludes.
"Alright next dress then." I say and turn back to the dressing room. After a few minutes, I am dressed in a black gown and am walking out to get Ziva's opinion. "What do you think?" I ask again.
"Abby it has bows." She exclaims trying to hold back a laugh.
"Yeah and?"
"They're massive Abby you can't wear that!"
"Why not?" I ask defending the dress.
"You're trying to impress McGee, not kill him with ribbons." I frown at her response.
"I wouldn't kill him Ziva!"
"Abby have you see the bow on the back?"
"What bow?" I ask and turn my head to try and find it.
"That bow!" Ziva says positioning me in front of many mirrors and sure enough there was the massive bow.
"Wow!"
"Yeah!"
"Ok, I'm getting this thing off me." I say and quickly walk towards the dressing room. After a few minutes I'm out of the hideous thing and I'm slipping into my favourite dress out of them all it's areophane black fabric has small patterns on it and reveals the soft white silk under layer. I walk out to wear Ziva's waiting to get her reaction.
"Wow! McGee's going to have a heart attack when he sees you!" Ziva informs me with a grin.
"It's the one, right?"
"I would kill you if you didn't buy it." She half jokes.
"Yeah, I don't doubt that you would!"
"Why didn't you just try that on in the first place?"
"I wasn't sure if it would suit me."
"Well Abby I think you look stunning, and so will everyone else!"
"Ok give me a few minutes and you can try on those other two dresses." I say and start to walk towards my dressing room."
"No wait…" She says stopping me from going any further "… I've got a better idea!"
"What are you proposing David?"
"Stay in the dress while I try on the others and then we can make sure that we don't clash." She says with a grin, "Besides I know that you don't really want to get out of that dress just yet."
"Ok, just don't be too long." I tell her as she draws the curtain across. After a couple of minutes she comes out wearing a dark pink one shouldered chiffon dress.
"What do you think?" she asks nervously.
"I think you need more confident in yourself because you look great…" I say with an implied 'but' on the end.
"But?" she asks.
"That dress is way too summery for December." I say indicating the fabric, "You would freeze if you went outside."
"Next dress then?" she asks and returns to her dressing room.
"Of course!" I reply and she returns a couple of minutes later wearing a beautiful red satin dress, which sits a couple of inches above her knees. "You look incredible!" I tell her which brings a smile to her face.
"Really?" she asks with slightly rosy cheeks.
"You would know if I was lying." I tease, "And look a say pulling her next to me we don't clash!" I point out.
"Yes, but won't I be cold in this dress?" I ask
"Well considering that we are going to be inside, and if you do go outside you can wear this wonderful thing we invented called a coat." I tease reassuring her. "You'll be fine."
"True."
"You look amazing Ziva and I know for a fact that Tony will not be able to take his eyes off you." I say and we both smile. "Now let's get changed back into our normal clothes so we can go shopping for shoes and maybe even accessories if there is time." Once we are finally out the shop after conquering the queue, we start heading towards our favourite shoe shop.
"Abby we have already discussed this; you cannot wear red shoes with your dress." Ziva moans.
"I'm just looking." I reply and Ziva raises her eyebrow in disbelief.
"Abby you've been 'looking' at the shoes over there for half an hour!"
"So?"
"We haven't got that long left to find our shoes before the shops close.
"Fine." I sigh and head towards the section full of black shoes.
"What do you think of these?" Ziva ask holding up a pair of black pumps.
"Ziva we've talked about this!" I joke and in return Ziva scowls at me "Try something a bit more adventurous."
"What does that entail?"
"A heel." I smirk at her resistance
"Fine." She huffs and walk towards a section of high heels.
"What about these?" She asks holding up a pair of plain black heels, and I sigh in response.
"Perhaps something a bit like these." I suggest holding up a pair of silver high heels.
"I prefer these." She says holding up a pair of sandal styled heels.
"Much better, now help me look for shoes." I say and drag her to another area.
In the end I buy some reasonably comfortable black high heels and Ziva buys the silver high heels she picked out earlier, and we head back to the cars not even bothering to buy accessories.
"See you tomorrow." I announce as I reach my car.
"Yeah see you then." Ziva replies, and starts to walk to her car "Oh and Abby…"
"Yeah?"
"Thanks for suggesting this; I really had fun." She replies and gives me an honest smile.
"Bye Ziva." I say and we both turn back to our cars.
Thank you for all the reviews, hits, alerts and everything else I have received, they have all been fantastic and have made me smile. Please if you have any ideas for future chapters I would appreciate it.
Thanks for reading =)
P.S: If anyone is wondering what areophane fabric is – it's pretty much a light semi-transparent material (imagine netting without the large holes).