DISCLAIMER: NCIS and its characters belong to DPB, CBS, Paramount, et al. No copyright infringement is intended.
ARCHIVING: Only with the permission of the author.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Thanks to Sofrost for the beta.
Can I Keep You?
By Freddie-4884
Abby walked back into her lab, still chuckling after her visit with Ducky. She loves the man dearly but she thinks that sometimes he can come across as really old. Everyone who has had the pleasure of working with him knows that he's the most caring and loving man you could ever meet, the ultimate professional, and Abby is no exception. She thinks he is someone to aspire to. She loves Ducky, just like she loves the rest of 'her' team. She had just arrived back from his mortuary after thanking him for his Valentine's gift, it was so sweet of him to go out and spend time in picking out a present for her, she thought. Of course, Gibbs, Tony and McGee had been down to her lab to give her the Valentine's gifts they had bought for her. It always surprised her, that every year the guys surprised her with gifts at Christmas, her birthdays and not to forget Valentine's Day. She'd never worked in a place where she felt so special before.
The second she stepped into her lab she knew something was wrong, something was out of place. Taking a quick glance around her lab she spotted the forgiven object. Sitting smack in the middle of her work bench was a large bouquet of flowers. Not just any flowers, her favourite flowers, lilies, roses, baby's breath, daisies and tulips, of every colour. As she stepped closer to the table she could smell the sweet aroma of each flower. Stopping at the tables each she closes her eyes and inhales. She imagines that she can identify each individual scent but she realises that she was fooling herself when she leans over and smells each individual flower.
A cough from the doorway startles her and she jumps slightly. Turning around to face the intruder her eyes light up when she sees Gibbs standing in the doorway with his arms crossed and smirk gracing his lips.
"Nice flowers Abs, who sent them?" He asks with a nod of his head to the afore mentioned flowers.
"Um, actually....I don't know. I haven't looked for a card yet." She replies suddenly turning back to the table, searching for a card that would reveal the identity of the person who would be getting the biggest hug she'd ever given. Finally she spotted a plain white envelope sitting in the midst of the bouquet. She noticed that her hand trembled slightly as she opened the envelope. Inside was a small card with the words:
LIVES ARE FOR LIVING, I LIVE FOR YOU.
DREAMS ARE FOR DREAMING, I DREAM FOR YOU
HEARTS ARE FOR BEATING, MINE BEATS FOR YOU
ANGELS ARE FOR KEEPING, CAN I KEEP YOU?
Written in plain black ink and in the neatest handwriting she had seen. Nothing else was on the card, no signature or initials that could tell her who sent them.
"So?" Gibbs asked coming further into the room.
"Huh?" Abby had forgotten that he was there. She was staring at the card so intently hoping that her gaze would be enough to force it to reveal the identity of the sender. She had almost forgotten that he was there.
"Come on, Abby, get back in the game." He said half amused half exasperated. "Who sent you the flower shop?"
"Um, I don't know." She replies in wonderment handing the card over to him. Someone obviously cared enough to go to the trouble and the expense to lavish her with these flowers, but who?
"A secret admirer? Let's hope it's a harmless one." He says handing the card back to her. "Do you have an update for me?" He asks moving straight back into business.
"Right, yeah, results." Abby moves right into professional mode and fills Gibbs in on everything she had found out so far. The flowers, or the secret admirer, never far in her mind. She turned her back to the layout, holding the flowers, and tried to concentrate on her work. She had just managed to completely focus on the tests she was running when McGee walked into her lab.
"Hey, Abs, nice flowers. Who are they from?" He asks walking over to them and inhaling the scent of one particularly sweet smelling rose.
"I've no idea, McGee." She replied not taking her eyes off her computer screen. "They're part of a case. Gibbs suspects that they are the cause of death in a case he is working. He suspects that they are coated with a substance that, when inhaled causes the lung to spasm and stop. He wants me to analysis them to find out what it could be." She says with a wicked grin on her face as she turns just in time to see McGee jump back from the table grabbing his chest. Abby's laughter alerts him to the fact that she is pulling his leg.
"Oh, very funny Abs. You never know what sick ends people will go to kill each other." He says pouting. "So, really, who are they from?"
"I have no idea. They were here when I came back from Ducky's lab, and the card with them isn't signed. I've no idea who left them."
"Hmmm, interesting. A mystery. Would you like a hand to solve it?" He asks with his eyes glistening and hopes in his voice.
"You know, McGee. I think I would."
The co-conspirators set to work checking the card for finger prints and hidden messages. An hour had elapsed before McGee had suggested checking the surveillance cameras.
"Of course." Abby shouted out into the quiet of the lab. "Why didn't I think of that?"
Smiling at each other McGee took up residence in front of the computer and typed in the needed commands to access the surveillance cameras.
"Right, what time where you down at Ducky's?"
"Um, I think it was about three and half hours ago."
"So, about 12 o'clock, then? Does that sound about right?"
"Yeah, it does."
McGee typed in the time code and watch Abby on the screen leave her lab. He pressed fast forward to speed up the process. They watched with amusement as several people came and went looking for Abby. Finally the person they were looking for appeared on the screen, or rather a large bouquet of flowers on legs appeared. Abby inched closer to the screen hoping to see the person through the flowers. As they passed by the camera Abby softly cursed.
"Dammit, I can't his face."
"Just wait Abs; he has to come the same way." McGee said trying to calm her down.
Finally the secret admirer was no longer secret. They both watched at the admirer walked back to the elevator and waited impatiently to arrive. In the quiet of the lab all that could be heard was breathing. McGee and Abby both sat in stunned silence as they looked at the image frozen in front of them.
"You know for all we know, bringing the flowers here could have been a favour." McGee said finally breaking the silence.
"Yeah." Abby agreed.
"We don't know for sure that's your secret admirer." He offered up, pointing to the screen.
"Yeah."
"Abs?" McGee asked tentatively. "Are you ok?"
"Yeah, I am." Abby replied with a huge smile spreading across her face.
"So, are you ok, knowing the identity of your secret admirer?" He asked, pointing once again to the screen. "Are you ok, knowing that it's.....?"
"Ziva?" Abby answers for him, her smile growing even larger.
"Yes, Abby?" A voice answered from behind her causing Abby to spin round so fast it took a moment for the room to stop spinning.
"Ziva!" Abby said in shock. Her secret admirer stood in front of her with a look of confusion on her face. Confusion soon turned to worry as Abby strode across the lab to engulf her in a tight cuddle.
"Yes, you can keep me." Abby whispered into her ear, startling Ziva into action. She brought her arms up to encircle Abby's waist, enjoying the feel of her arms finally wrapped around the woman who had come to mean so much to her.
"Do you really mean it, Abby?" Ziva asks tentatively.
To show her that she really meant it, she lowered her lips to Ziva's. As both women moved to deepen the kiss, they had forgotten poor McGee sitting watching the scene unfold before him. They finally remembered that he was in the room when he fell off the stool he was sitting on and landed on the floor with a loud thump. They both pulled back and spared a glance at McGee before Abby buried her face in Ziva's neck to try and stifle her giggles at the crumpled heap of McGee sitting on the floor.
"So, can I take you out sometime?" Ziva asked Abby. Feeling the lab techs body shake with silent chuckles.
"How about tonight?" Abby asked, standing up straight and looking Ziva in the eye.
"I couldn't think of a better time." She smiled.
Both women walked out of the lab with their arms wrapped around each other while poor McGee still sat on the lab floor. Stunned and shocked at the scene he had just witnessed.
The End