Chapter 26
Tim, Tony, Ducky and Gibbs arrived at the bowling alley about 15 minutes before the scheduled time for Kelly's party. Gibbs went up to the counter to finish the party plans with the coordinator. She told him what lanes their party would be on and the rest of the team set up the Princess cake and drinks. The men had brought the presents and the purple and pink balloons that Abby had insisted upon and got the party set up. Abby and Ziva had taken Kelly to the restroom to change into her new dress and shoes. Samantha hurried into the bowling alley still carrying her dress bag and the toys that the girls had bought Kelly.
Seeing Gibbs for the first time that day she smiled in his direction. Gibbs quickly saw the loving look in her eyes and winked at her. Samantha walked up to the guys. "Well where is the birthday girl?" Tony asked still tying balloons to the seats surrounding their lanes.
"Abby and Ziva are getting her all dolled up. She does not know what is going to happen but she knows something is up. She had been nearly uncontrollable all morning." Samantha smirked walking toward Gibbs giving him a kiss on the cheek. Samantha looked around and saw everything was ready. She quickly texted Abby. Abby answered back. "They will be here in a minute."
Just a few minutes later Abby and Ziva stepped into the alley with Kelly wearing a pink sparkly blindfold. She was dressed in a beautiful pink dress with a flouncy skirt and matching leggings, black patent leather shoes, and her hair in pig tails with curls and pink hair ribbons. Just as the three neared the lanes the whole team yelled "Surprise!" Kelly quickly removed her blindfold and screamed with delight. "Gibbs!" She ran into Gibbs outstretched arms. He lifted her up in the air and kissed her on the cheek. "Happy Birthday, Sweetie."
Tony, McGee and Ducky came up to her and wished her happy birthday. "Ok, let's get the party started." Tony said with his usual grin. "I am ready to kick somebody's butt."
Kelly looked up at him and giggled. "Tony, you owe Miss Waverly a dime or 100 sentences for that bad word" Gibbs put Kelly down and helped her put on her bowling shoes. "Yes DiNozzo pay up. Samantha charges for dirty words. "Gibbs smirked giving him a head slap. "Ok Kelly, Sam. Guess I need to watch my language," he grimaced and tossed Sam a dime. "Now we have to have a bowling challenge just to make it sporting."
"I know, I know" Kelly replied. "Girls vs. Boys. 4 boys and 4 girls seems fair."
"Kel are you sure? You have never bowled before and Ducky might not want to bowl." Samantha asked her.
"You said you would teach me right?"
"Of course. "
"Well Ducky, will you join us and bowl too?" Kelly asked him batting her eyes.
"Of course my dear. But the last time I bowled we had pin boys so you may have to help me." Ducky replied patting the sweet little girl on her head. Just then Tony took up the challenge. "Ok Boys vs. Girls, total pins and Kelly gets 3 chances per frame. Now what are the stakes? I want to know what we guys win when we beat you ladies." Tony jumped in.
Abby jumped in. "You beat us. Remember DiNozzo I have a 180 average. I kind of think you guys won't win against that." Samantha looked at Gibbs and winked. He smiled back at her like the two had a secret from the team.
Ziva joined into the discussion. "How about it the winner cooks dinner at Gibbs' house tonight? Sound good Gibbs."
"Fine by me but aren't you ladies going to have a "slumber" party?" Gibbs replied looking at Sam and winking. She just smiled back at him and shook her head.
"But we still have to eat, yes." Ziva said looking around to her fellow team mates. Kelly jumped up in Gibbs' lap as he was trying to put on his bowling shoes. "Sounds good to me. Right Boss," Kelly giggled as Gibbs started tickling her.
"Ok you're on" McGee and Tony said together. "Total pin count for two games." Abby, Ziva and Sam just laughed and went looking for their bowling balls. Sam went to the desk and got a smaller ball for Kelly. When the ladies got back McGee had put everyone's names in the computer. "Ready Kelly" Sam asked.
"You said you would help me Miss Waverly. " Kelly smiled sweetly. Samantha walked up and handed her the ball. She whispered into Kelly's ear and then stepped out in the gutter and pointed to an arrow on the lane with her laser pointer. "Just walk up to the lane like I told you and try to hit the red light." Samantha instructed.
Kelly grinned and ran at the lane holding the ball in both hands. She tossed the ball on the lane just missing the third arrow where the laser was pointed ."Good shot baby." Samantha encouraged. The ball rolled slowly down the lane hitting the pins in the pocket and knocking them all down. "Strike!" Kelly yelled jumping up and down.
"Way to go kid let." Tony said giving Kelly a high five. "Have you bowled before?"
"Thank you Tony but no I have never bowled before." Kelly jumped back to Gibbs giving him a hug.
"Your up Sam." McGee said. Sam grabbed her ball and expertly walked up to the lane. Taking her time she studied the lane and she walked up and threw the ball toward the end of the lane The pens blasted apart all hitting the deck. The computer registered a strike.
Tony looked at the score and rubbed his hand down his face. He had a sinking feeling that the men were cooking supper tonight.
Gibbs looked over as Samantha. "You need to tell him Sam."
"You sure, Gibbs." Sam winked at him. Gibbs nodded. " Tony might think about backing out on the bet." Tony gave her a look. "Never backed out on a bet in my life." Tony glared at her.
"I got through college on a scholarship. Our team won NCAA bowling championship two of the four years I was there. Then on the weekend I was a bowling coach for the youth bowlers." Tony grimaced and rubbed his hand down his face again. Ziva came over and put her arm around his shoulder. " What's for dinner Tony?"
"You girls have not won yet." Tony joked while Gibbs just chuckled to himself.
The team finished the first game. The girls were winning by just 15 pins and Tony was giving them a hard time because his score was higher than Abby's and Ziva's. "Hey ladies I beat both of you."
"The game is not finished yet Tony. It is time for Kelly's cake." Ziva walked over to him and tapped Tony on the back of his head. The team stopped the game to light the candles on the cake and open presents.
While they were eating the cake Kelly opened her presents. Tim got her a DS game boy and two games, Abby got her a chemistry set, Tony got her the Disney princess DVD collection, and Ducky got her several books that Samantha had recommended for her. Samantha and Gibbs told her that theirs was at Gibbs's house.
After everything from the party was cleaned up the bowling challenge began again. Kelly started the next game with another strike and was having a great time going from lap to lap. Tim had even showed her how the computer scoring worked and she was learning to keep score manually.
It was when Samantha threw her 6th straight strike in the 6th frame that Tony stopped talking smack with the ladies and started cheering for her to make a 300 game.
On her 8th strike in a row Gibbs came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. He whispered something into her ear. A crowd had gathered around the team and was enjoying the show as both men and women cheered for a possible 300 game.
Sam came up for her ninth try. She carefully eyed the lane and the pins. She knew the minute she let go of the ball that the string was over. When the ball hit the pins they exploded leaving the ten pin standing. It looked like it was grinning at them. Gibbs saw Sam's face fall. " I knew it. I always get close but that ten just looks like it is laughing at me."
The team knew Sam was disappointed and did not know what to say, even Gibbs. Sam sat down and ran her hand down her face. Gibbs could see that it had really upset her. But before Gibbs could get to her Kelly came up and worked her way onto Sam's lap. She ran her hand down her former teacher's cheek. " It's ok Samantha" Sam looked at the little girl. This was the first time she had called her by her first name. "Remember what you said at school. If first you don't succeed try again. You did your best." Samantha put her arms around the little girl and just hugged her tightly.
"You are so right sweetheart. Let's finish whipping these gentlemen and go home. Gibbs and I have a surprise for you."
They finished the game and the ladies ended up beating the men by over fifty pens. Tony started grumbling that they would have to cook. Ziva put her hand on his shoulder and smiled. "Just try not to burn my dinner, DiNozzo." Tony smiled and helped the team clean up the lanes and helped the girls carry all of Kelly's presents to the car.
On the way out Gibbs put his arm around Samantha's shoulder and whispered into her ear. "You really did not have beat us so bad. I already have dinner started at home." He smirked and kissed her on the temple. "I am sending McGee and DiNozzo for a couple of things to go with dinner. Take your time coming home. Maybe you could take Kelly by to say hi to her mother and show her that new outfit."
"On it Boss" she smiled and kissed him back this time brushing his lips. He smiled looking deep into her eyes. " Going to miss you tonight."
The team left the mall and headed toward their assigned destinations. Kelly was just jabbering all the way to visit her mother about her day with Team Gibbs. Samantha could do nothing but smile. She was thinking about the dress she had in the trunk. Gibbs' eyes were going to pop out of their sockets when he saw her in it she hoped.