ficlets: saturday night
1. McGee
He's got a bottle of soda at his elbow, a bag of something crunchy and salty on the computer table, and his Bluetooth headset on. They're about to storm the fort and he's got to make sure his squadron follows orders. Last time his second in command ignored his plan and all hell broke loose. Tim's determined that won't happen this time. "Blue Squadron, this is Blue One, copy? Over."
"Blue One, this is Blue Two," his second reports. "On your mark, Blue One. Over."
Tim studies the screen, judging the precise moment. The guard passes and-"Blue Squadron, go!"
2. Ducky
The armchair is worn with years of use and comfortable in the way that only certain pieces of furniture can be, after one has developed a long-standing relationship with them. The cushion of this particular chair is threadbare, but the cushion itself is nicely conformed to his seat and the back is just the right angle.
Mother's settled into bed and the dogs have quieted down for the night. Ducky settles into his chair with his most recent book- The Eyre Affair, by Jasper Fforde, and a cup of properly brewed tea.
He sighs a little, sipping the tea. Perfect.
3. Ziva
"Baruch atah Adonai, elohaynu melech ha'olam, hav-madil bayn kodesh l'chol…" As she recites the blessings, she remembers. She watched her father recite the Havdalah blessings Saturday night, over the braided candle and the silver Kiddush cup.
She doesn’t observe Shabbat, but she lights the candles on Friday night when she can. And she observes Havdalah when she can.
"…ayn or l'choshekh, bayn yisrael la-amim, bayn yom ha-sh'vi'i l'shayshet y'may ha-ma'aseh. Baruch atah Adonai, elohaynu melech ha'olam, hav-madil bayn kodesh l'chol. Amen."
Ziva takes a sip of wine. The candle sizzles when she lets a few drops fall, extinguishing its flame. (*)
4. Abby
The music's loud, the Red Bull's cold, and Abby knows she's looking especially hot tonight. Her pleated miniskirt and chain belt have garnered her more than a few admiring looks, and when combined with her tight black tank top, she's getting quite a few stares.
Doesn't bother her any. She revels in it, swinging her hips to the music, tilting her head back to drink the last of her Red Bull. She's not looking to get picked up tonight but hey, if it happens she's not going to turn it down.
A girl's got to have some fun, after all.
5. Tony
If anyone were to guess, they'd assume he was out clubbing or on a date or out at some sleazy strip club with some of his buddies.
Only Tony's not in the mood for anything along those lines. He got a new package in the mail today, and he's been waiting until evening to savor it properly.
He props his feet on the coffee table, the bowl of popcorn in his lap and his beer on the end table next to him. He hits play on the DVD remote…and settles in to watch the first of the Thin Man movies.
6. Gibbs
Smooth wood under his hands, the scent of sawdust and coffee in the air, and Gibbs is perfectly content. He stops to sand a rough patch on one of the ribs, frowning until it's as smooth as the rest.
He doesn't know how he'll get the boat out of the basement, although honestly, he's not sure he'll finish it enough for that to matter. It's kind of like Penelope's tapestry, only he doesn't undo what he's done every night.
But it's the making of the thing that counts, anyway. And if this one ends up kindling, he'll just start again.
*Ziva is observing Havdalah, the Jewish ceremony that marks the ending of Shabbat. The prayer Ziva recites is the last one and is translated as follows:
Blessed are You, Lord, our God, King of the Universe, who distinguishes between the sacred and the secular, between light and dark, between Israel and the nations, between the seventh day and the six days of labor. Blessed are You, Lord, who distinguishes between the sacred and the secular. (Amen).
After this blessing, you take a sip of wine and use a few drops to extinguish the candle.
He's got a bottle of soda at his elbow, a bag of something crunchy and salty on the computer table, and his Bluetooth headset on. They're about to storm the fort and he's got to make sure his squadron follows orders. Last time his second in command ignored his plan and all hell broke loose. Tim's determined that won't happen this time. "Blue Squadron, this is Blue One, copy? Over."
"Blue One, this is Blue Two," his second reports. "On your mark, Blue One. Over."
Tim studies the screen, judging the precise moment. The guard passes and-"Blue Squadron, go!"
2. Ducky
The armchair is worn with years of use and comfortable in the way that only certain pieces of furniture can be, after one has developed a long-standing relationship with them. The cushion of this particular chair is threadbare, but the cushion itself is nicely conformed to his seat and the back is just the right angle.
Mother's settled into bed and the dogs have quieted down for the night. Ducky settles into his chair with his most recent book- The Eyre Affair, by Jasper Fforde, and a cup of properly brewed tea.
He sighs a little, sipping the tea. Perfect.
3. Ziva
"Baruch atah Adonai, elohaynu melech ha'olam, hav-madil bayn kodesh l'chol…" As she recites the blessings, she remembers. She watched her father recite the Havdalah blessings Saturday night, over the braided candle and the silver Kiddush cup.
She doesn’t observe Shabbat, but she lights the candles on Friday night when she can. And she observes Havdalah when she can.
"…ayn or l'choshekh, bayn yisrael la-amim, bayn yom ha-sh'vi'i l'shayshet y'may ha-ma'aseh. Baruch atah Adonai, elohaynu melech ha'olam, hav-madil bayn kodesh l'chol. Amen."
Ziva takes a sip of wine. The candle sizzles when she lets a few drops fall, extinguishing its flame. (*)
4. Abby
The music's loud, the Red Bull's cold, and Abby knows she's looking especially hot tonight. Her pleated miniskirt and chain belt have garnered her more than a few admiring looks, and when combined with her tight black tank top, she's getting quite a few stares.
Doesn't bother her any. She revels in it, swinging her hips to the music, tilting her head back to drink the last of her Red Bull. She's not looking to get picked up tonight but hey, if it happens she's not going to turn it down.
A girl's got to have some fun, after all.
5. Tony
If anyone were to guess, they'd assume he was out clubbing or on a date or out at some sleazy strip club with some of his buddies.
Only Tony's not in the mood for anything along those lines. He got a new package in the mail today, and he's been waiting until evening to savor it properly.
He props his feet on the coffee table, the bowl of popcorn in his lap and his beer on the end table next to him. He hits play on the DVD remote…and settles in to watch the first of the Thin Man movies.
6. Gibbs
Smooth wood under his hands, the scent of sawdust and coffee in the air, and Gibbs is perfectly content. He stops to sand a rough patch on one of the ribs, frowning until it's as smooth as the rest.
He doesn't know how he'll get the boat out of the basement, although honestly, he's not sure he'll finish it enough for that to matter. It's kind of like Penelope's tapestry, only he doesn't undo what he's done every night.
But it's the making of the thing that counts, anyway. And if this one ends up kindling, he'll just start again.
*Ziva is observing Havdalah, the Jewish ceremony that marks the ending of Shabbat. The prayer Ziva recites is the last one and is translated as follows:
Blessed are You, Lord, our God, King of the Universe, who distinguishes between the sacred and the secular, between light and dark, between Israel and the nations, between the seventh day and the six days of labor. Blessed are You, Lord, who distinguishes between the sacred and the secular. (Amen).
After this blessing, you take a sip of wine and use a few drops to extinguish the candle.