A Christmas Fic for simplyn2deep
Title: thar She Blow Tickles
Genre: NCIS - Jimmy Palmer, Abby Sciuto
Rating: PG
Word count: 897
Prompt: Someone embarrasses herself at a Christmas party.
My thanks to simplyn2deep for a fun challenge and to sparky955, beta supreme.
“Okay, are you ready?” Abby Sciuto had her back to her date for the Christmas party. Jimmy Palmer nodded, then realized she couldn’t see him.
“I’m ready. Terrified, but ready.”
She pulled on a hat and spun. The hat was a gold star and the sweater a fully decorated Christmas tree, complete with garland, ornament and lights. “Ta da!”
“Wow… oh, my…” Jimmy fell back a step. “Doctor, do you have a moment?”
Donald Mallard, Ducky to his friends, entered as he studied a clipboard. “I don’t have much… oh my God…” He clutched his chest and fell back a step against a counter. “You should warn a person, Mr. Palmer.”
“I didn’t want him to. I wanted you to get the whole effect.” Abby twirled. “Am I going to rock the Christmas party or what?”
“Abigail, you did read the invitation, didn’t you?” Ducky asked her back and she hurried away.
“Yup!”
“She didn’t read the invitation, did she?” he asked his associate.
“Nope. All she saw was Christmas party and she was gone. I’ve tried to tell her, but she doesn’t want to hear me. I have a suspicion that she thinks I’m a little too conservative.”
“Well, if her intention is to make an entrance…” Ducky shook his head. “You must do something, my boy.”
“I know, but what?”
Ducky smiled and patted his arm. “Think outside the box, lad.”
Abby Sciuto was miserable. This had been her night to shine and shine she did, much to the amusement, horror, and disbelief of the other members of the party. She’d read formal dress as fancy dress. She knew now what both Jimmy and Ducky had been struggling to tell her.
The door to the darkened library opened and she resisted the urge to hide behind the fainting couch she’d been keeping warm.
“Abby, are you in here?”
She recognized Jimmy’s voice. For a moment, she remained silent and as the door started to close, she said, “Yes, Jimmy, I’m here.”
“Oh, good. I’ve been looking everywhere for you.” He entered, carrying a small tray in one hand and a box under the other arm. A little help?”
She got up and took the tray. She figured that was what he’d been having the most trouble holding onto. Jimmy wasn’t known for his grace.
“That’s for you.” There were a few apps, some drenched with champagne. “Sorry about spilling some. It’s a madhouse out there.”
“Can we go home, Jimmy?” She tried not to whine, but she was so humiliated.
“But we just got here.” He looked back longingly at the door. “And there’s going to be dancing.”
“You like to dance?”
“I do.” Jimmy clicked on a desk light and sat down beside her.
“You are going to make some woman very happy.” She sipped the champagne. “This is very good.”
“That’s what I keep telling them, but so far no takers.”
“These are very good. What are the puffs?”
“Mushrooms. I made sure everything was vegetarian.”
“You are so sweet.” She ate a little bit and finished the champagne. She now didn’t feel as awful, but still. “I can’t believe I misread that invitation so horribly. I’m usually better than that.”
“Well, speaking for myself, it’s nice to know you are still a little bit human at times.” He picked up the box and offered it to her.
“What’s this?”
“Well, call it an early Christmas gift. I thought you could use a little something.”
“Anything that will give me the nerve to walk through that crowd of people again. I am going to be dealing with the blowback from this for years.”
“Caesar used to have a man follow him around and remind him that he was a mere mortal. Consider this that.”
Abby nodded and slowly undid the bow and the ribbon. She lifted off the top and looked inside. “I don’t…” She lifted the dark red gown out of the box and held it up. The rhinestones caught the faint light and glittered. “What is this?”
“I have a friend in the theatre. She’s about your size and she suggested this for making an entrance.” Jimmy pointed to a dark corner. “Why don’t you try it on?”
She jumped up, kissed his cheek and hurried away. “It’s lovely!”
“It’s her favorite and it should be long enough so that you can still wear your shoes. It might be a little big…”
Abby stepped out and into the light. The dress fit like a glove and its color brought a glow to Abby’s features. She’d undone her pigtails and let her hair fall to her shoulders.
“Wow… just wow.” Abby smiled shyly and Jimmy came forward with an opera wrap. “Now if we leave by those doors, we can circle around and come in the front door and pretend none of this happened.”
Abby hugged him, hard. “How can I repay you for all of this?” She released him and beamed.
“First, by not beating yourself up for being human and second, let me have the first dance.”
“You got it.”
Jimmy offered her his arm. “Miss Sciuto?”
“Thank you, Mr. Palmer.”
“Boy, if the guys could see me now. They’d never believe I’d have the belle of the ball on my arm tonight.”
Abby touched one of her ears and the earring tinkled pleasantly. “And I’m jingling all the way.”
Genre: NCIS - Jimmy Palmer, Abby Sciuto
Rating: PG
Word count: 897
Prompt: Someone embarrasses herself at a Christmas party.
My thanks to simplyn2deep for a fun challenge and to sparky955, beta supreme.
“Okay, are you ready?” Abby Sciuto had her back to her date for the Christmas party. Jimmy Palmer nodded, then realized she couldn’t see him.
“I’m ready. Terrified, but ready.”
She pulled on a hat and spun. The hat was a gold star and the sweater a fully decorated Christmas tree, complete with garland, ornament and lights. “Ta da!”
“Wow… oh, my…” Jimmy fell back a step. “Doctor, do you have a moment?”
Donald Mallard, Ducky to his friends, entered as he studied a clipboard. “I don’t have much… oh my God…” He clutched his chest and fell back a step against a counter. “You should warn a person, Mr. Palmer.”
“I didn’t want him to. I wanted you to get the whole effect.” Abby twirled. “Am I going to rock the Christmas party or what?”
“Abigail, you did read the invitation, didn’t you?” Ducky asked her back and she hurried away.
“Yup!”
“She didn’t read the invitation, did she?” he asked his associate.
“Nope. All she saw was Christmas party and she was gone. I’ve tried to tell her, but she doesn’t want to hear me. I have a suspicion that she thinks I’m a little too conservative.”
“Well, if her intention is to make an entrance…” Ducky shook his head. “You must do something, my boy.”
“I know, but what?”
Ducky smiled and patted his arm. “Think outside the box, lad.”
Abby Sciuto was miserable. This had been her night to shine and shine she did, much to the amusement, horror, and disbelief of the other members of the party. She’d read formal dress as fancy dress. She knew now what both Jimmy and Ducky had been struggling to tell her.
The door to the darkened library opened and she resisted the urge to hide behind the fainting couch she’d been keeping warm.
“Abby, are you in here?”
She recognized Jimmy’s voice. For a moment, she remained silent and as the door started to close, she said, “Yes, Jimmy, I’m here.”
“Oh, good. I’ve been looking everywhere for you.” He entered, carrying a small tray in one hand and a box under the other arm. A little help?”
She got up and took the tray. She figured that was what he’d been having the most trouble holding onto. Jimmy wasn’t known for his grace.
“That’s for you.” There were a few apps, some drenched with champagne. “Sorry about spilling some. It’s a madhouse out there.”
“Can we go home, Jimmy?” She tried not to whine, but she was so humiliated.
“But we just got here.” He looked back longingly at the door. “And there’s going to be dancing.”
“You like to dance?”
“I do.” Jimmy clicked on a desk light and sat down beside her.
“You are going to make some woman very happy.” She sipped the champagne. “This is very good.”
“That’s what I keep telling them, but so far no takers.”
“These are very good. What are the puffs?”
“Mushrooms. I made sure everything was vegetarian.”
“You are so sweet.” She ate a little bit and finished the champagne. She now didn’t feel as awful, but still. “I can’t believe I misread that invitation so horribly. I’m usually better than that.”
“Well, speaking for myself, it’s nice to know you are still a little bit human at times.” He picked up the box and offered it to her.
“What’s this?”
“Well, call it an early Christmas gift. I thought you could use a little something.”
“Anything that will give me the nerve to walk through that crowd of people again. I am going to be dealing with the blowback from this for years.”
“Caesar used to have a man follow him around and remind him that he was a mere mortal. Consider this that.”
Abby nodded and slowly undid the bow and the ribbon. She lifted off the top and looked inside. “I don’t…” She lifted the dark red gown out of the box and held it up. The rhinestones caught the faint light and glittered. “What is this?”
“I have a friend in the theatre. She’s about your size and she suggested this for making an entrance.” Jimmy pointed to a dark corner. “Why don’t you try it on?”
She jumped up, kissed his cheek and hurried away. “It’s lovely!”
“It’s her favorite and it should be long enough so that you can still wear your shoes. It might be a little big…”
Abby stepped out and into the light. The dress fit like a glove and its color brought a glow to Abby’s features. She’d undone her pigtails and let her hair fall to her shoulders.
“Wow… just wow.” Abby smiled shyly and Jimmy came forward with an opera wrap. “Now if we leave by those doors, we can circle around and come in the front door and pretend none of this happened.”
Abby hugged him, hard. “How can I repay you for all of this?” She released him and beamed.
“First, by not beating yourself up for being human and second, let me have the first dance.”
“You got it.”
Jimmy offered her his arm. “Miss Sciuto?”
“Thank you, Mr. Palmer.”
“Boy, if the guys could see me now. They’d never believe I’d have the belle of the ball on my arm tonight.”
Abby touched one of her ears and the earring tinkled pleasantly. “And I’m jingling all the way.”