NCIS; Abby/McGee; Reflection
TITLE: In my daughter’s eyes
AUTHOR: Sage Harper
FANDOM: NCIS
PAIRING: Abby/McGee
GENRE: Het
PROMPT: 15. Reflection
RATING: G
WORD COUNT: 1,610
SUMMARY: In which Ducky buys a mirror, Abby & McGee paint their bedroom, and Lola says her first words.
WARNINGS:
NOTES:
DISCLAIMER: All the good stuff belongs to Donald P. Bellisario et all. I'm just borrowing and will put them back when I've finished.
On his first day off in, he didn’t want to think how long, McGee woke to the sound of the doorbell.
“Tim!” Abby called out “uh, a little help here, if you could.”
Still a little bleary with sleep, McGee ambled from where he had been sleeping on the futon in the living room, out to the hallway of their apartment.
He took hold of the item Abby and the FedEx guy were carrying between them, then helped to lower it down, propping it against the bedroom wall.
“What the hell is that?” McGee asked, as Abby signed for the item and watched the FedEx guy leave. He got Lola from her crib, then gave her a bottle as he started the coffee maker.
“It’s from Ducky,” Abby said, the delivery had kick-started her bounciness even without caffeine.
“Ducky, why would he be buying us … Something, I don’t even know what that is.”
“Well then let’s find out,”
Abby gleefully tore off the paper and packaging, then stopped. Stunned and delighted.
“Duckman is like the patron saint of gift giving.” She declared. “I mean isn’t this just the most gorgeous thing you’ve ever seen.”
McGee came to stand beside her, with Lola perched against his hip, and inspected the gift. It was a mirror, framed with glass of sumptuous shades of deep red and black in an art deco design. The mirror had been in the window of the antique shop they passed on their way to work, and every day Abby had commented on how much she loved it.
“Sure,” McGee wrapped his free arm around her waist “well apart from you two of you.”
“You probably say that to all the girls.” Abby kissed him “I better go call Ducky, to say thanks.”
“Gibbs will be mad … at Ducky I mean.”
“He’s never mad at Ducky, nobody can be mad at Ducky. He’s … Ducky”
“Well Gibbs did very firmly tell Ducky not to buy anything else from the antique store…”
“It’ll be fine, trust me.”
~oo0oo~
“Are you really sure about that colour?” McGee said, tentatively opening the paint pot. “It looks like …”
“Blood,” Abby grinned “but it’s OK, it dries a slightly different shade. I showed you, with the sample card.”
“You showed me like a million of those, it’s hard to keep track … at least it’s only on the two walls, so won’t be too overpowering.”
“Yup, that’s the art of compromise.” Abby put Lola down in the playpen.
McGee smiled as he finished putting masking tape over the skirting boards. “OK, let’s do it.”
The plan had been to have the whole room painted over two weekends, but life had got in the way. So they still had the last red wall to do. But once they got into the swing of painting, talking together and listening to music, the time passed quickly. Supervising the activity was Lola, sitting in her playpen with various toys to keep her occupied.
After a while her babbling became more animated, and they turned to see what was amusing her so much.
Stood in her playpen, directly in line with the mirror, Lola seemed to be talking to her reflection.
“Guess she thinks there’s another kid in there.” McGee suggested
“Probably, maybe we should explain it to her. But she’s having way too much fun.”
“I’m not quite sure a baby would understand physics anyway.”
“Lola isn’t just any baby,” Abby insisted “she’s our baby, and really intelligent. I know she doesn’t talk back but it’s obvious she understands a whole load of words. So I bet she would get it, people totally underestimate babies.”
“Yeah OK she’s genius.” McGee concurred
“And didn’t I hear you last night explaining all about that new computer program of yours?”
“That was just to get her to sleep. It bores Tony that much so I figured …”
“Yeah but Lola’s going to be a computer geek one day. Between my nature and your nurture we will make it so, you’ll see.”
“It is pretty amazing really.” McGee smiled “Watching her grow up and learn all these things, becoming this unique person with her own distinct character. It’s such a great thing, even though part of me wants her to stay tiny forever.”
“I get that too … but hey we could always have another kid. I mean that is why we got a three bedroom place, right?”
“The spare room is going to be a study, you promised. So maybe we can have another kid when my next book is finished.”
“Seriously the rate you’re going Lola will have kids before then.”
“You can’t rush artistic genius.”
“I don’t want to rush it, just maybe give it a little poke. To get it going.”
McGee rolled his eyes, and decided to go make some coffee.
~oo0oo~
He came back to the bedroom to find Abby had climbed into the playpen and was styling Lola’s hair.
“You’re giving her pigtails.” McGee noted with a smile
“Yup, her hair is just long enough for it, with the teeny rubber bands.” Abby grinned “Now I have a proper mini-me.”
“Is the world ready for that?”
“Well ready or not here we come.”
Lola giggled, still enthralled with the mirror.
“What can you see?” McGee asked her, crouching down beside the playpen.
“Dada,” Lola said to his reflection, then looked at him “dada.”
For a moment she seemed slightly perplexed by the concept of seeing McGee in person and his reflection, then she giggled anew.
“You can’t write that off as just babbling.” Abby said
“No, I wasn’t going to.” McGee beamed “I’m her first word.”
“Well yeah, don’t look so surprised. She totally adores you.” Abby laughed “she was even trying to read your book, which would be really advanced. You’ve got yourself a little fangirl.”
“I never realised,” McGee admitted “because well I don’t really expect it. People really liking me. I mean everyone likes you; you’re just amazing like that. Where as a part of me is still the chubby loser kid who goes to chess camp.”
Abby hugged him
“High school is over, thank God. We’re grown ups now … we should look up your old classmates on myspace sometime. Like this girl who was totally evil to me, well she’s a soccer mom now, and married to this total ugly loser. And this guy who everyone had a crush except me, because he was such an arrogant jerk, he works in Wal-Mart. It’s like karma in action.”
“What about Tony though. He was a jock and all, but is doing OK.”
“He’s the exception that proves the rule; but come on, since when has DiNozzo been poster guy for the well adjusted.”
“Anyway, back to my point.” Abby began “Lola doesn’t know about high school, she just knows the real you. And that’s who she loves. Who we both love.”
McGee looked between them, seeing the love reflected in both their eyes.
“I know,” he said, pulling them close “and I love you.”
~oo0oo~
That evening Gibbs and Ducky came over for dinner. It had been Abby’s suggestion; and Gibbs accepted as he and Ducky were getting ‘baby withdrawal symptoms’.
“Great job with the painting.” Gibbs said, helping McGee to put up the mirror “I like the vanilla colour, goes well with the red”
“That was Tim’s choice,” Abby said. “He’s got a really good eye for colour.”
Gibbs took a step back and admired his handiwork.
“Looks even better up. Suppose I can’t really hold it against Duck for getting it.”
“It was a gift,” Ducky said innocently as he entered the room carrying Lola “for Abby and Tim, a wedding present no less. What could possibly be objectionable about that?”
“Nothing, Duck.”
Gibbs caught his lover’s satisfied smirk, but chose to ignore it.
“Abby does that too,” McGee noted, “like when she promised not to buy anymore clothes. Then went and did, for Lola.”
“Yeah well she is growing, and they are really cute clothes.”
“They’ll be the death of us,” Gibbs gave McGee a conspirital smile “and we won’t even mind.”
“Anyway,” Ducky said “I was going to say that dinner is ready.”
Once they had sat down to eat it became apparent Ducky had that same delighted anticipatory look he couldn’t avoid giving when he was plotting to reveal some wonderful idea or scheme.
“What you got up your sleeve, Duck?” Gibbs said “you better tell us, wouldn’t want you exploding with excitement.”
“Yeah, that’d make a really big mess.” Abby smiled
“I just thought, Jethro, that you could assist Lola in showing off her new linguistic skills.” Ducky said casually
“Oh yeah she said daddy today.” Abby told them, every bit the proud mother “and it totally was that because she looked right at McGee and everything.”
“How wonderful,” Ducky smiled at Lola “I always knew you were an exceptional young lady, you’ll go far.”
“That’s not your only talent is it Lola-Bug.” Gibbs caught Lola’s attention.
“Can you say mommy?” he said, making a small hand gesture, which Lola copied with ease.
“You’re teaching her baby sign language,” Abby grinned “that is so totally cool! I was going to start, but all the books and stuff said the babies have to be a bit older.”
“Well we all know that once Jethro gets a bee in his bonnet there will be no waiting around.” Ducky rolled his eyes, but with affection “the sign language has been his pet project for weeks. And no doubt it is here to stay.”
“Well in that case” McGee began “what’s the sign for ‘grandpa’?”
AUTHOR: Sage Harper
FANDOM: NCIS
PAIRING: Abby/McGee
GENRE: Het
PROMPT: 15. Reflection
RATING: G
WORD COUNT: 1,610
SUMMARY: In which Ducky buys a mirror, Abby & McGee paint their bedroom, and Lola says her first words.
WARNINGS:
NOTES:
DISCLAIMER: All the good stuff belongs to Donald P. Bellisario et all. I'm just borrowing and will put them back when I've finished.
On his first day off in, he didn’t want to think how long, McGee woke to the sound of the doorbell.
“Tim!” Abby called out “uh, a little help here, if you could.”
Still a little bleary with sleep, McGee ambled from where he had been sleeping on the futon in the living room, out to the hallway of their apartment.
He took hold of the item Abby and the FedEx guy were carrying between them, then helped to lower it down, propping it against the bedroom wall.
“What the hell is that?” McGee asked, as Abby signed for the item and watched the FedEx guy leave. He got Lola from her crib, then gave her a bottle as he started the coffee maker.
“It’s from Ducky,” Abby said, the delivery had kick-started her bounciness even without caffeine.
“Ducky, why would he be buying us … Something, I don’t even know what that is.”
“Well then let’s find out,”
Abby gleefully tore off the paper and packaging, then stopped. Stunned and delighted.
“Duckman is like the patron saint of gift giving.” She declared. “I mean isn’t this just the most gorgeous thing you’ve ever seen.”
McGee came to stand beside her, with Lola perched against his hip, and inspected the gift. It was a mirror, framed with glass of sumptuous shades of deep red and black in an art deco design. The mirror had been in the window of the antique shop they passed on their way to work, and every day Abby had commented on how much she loved it.
“Sure,” McGee wrapped his free arm around her waist “well apart from you two of you.”
“You probably say that to all the girls.” Abby kissed him “I better go call Ducky, to say thanks.”
“Gibbs will be mad … at Ducky I mean.”
“He’s never mad at Ducky, nobody can be mad at Ducky. He’s … Ducky”
“Well Gibbs did very firmly tell Ducky not to buy anything else from the antique store…”
“It’ll be fine, trust me.”
~oo0oo~
“Are you really sure about that colour?” McGee said, tentatively opening the paint pot. “It looks like …”
“Blood,” Abby grinned “but it’s OK, it dries a slightly different shade. I showed you, with the sample card.”
“You showed me like a million of those, it’s hard to keep track … at least it’s only on the two walls, so won’t be too overpowering.”
“Yup, that’s the art of compromise.” Abby put Lola down in the playpen.
McGee smiled as he finished putting masking tape over the skirting boards. “OK, let’s do it.”
The plan had been to have the whole room painted over two weekends, but life had got in the way. So they still had the last red wall to do. But once they got into the swing of painting, talking together and listening to music, the time passed quickly. Supervising the activity was Lola, sitting in her playpen with various toys to keep her occupied.
After a while her babbling became more animated, and they turned to see what was amusing her so much.
Stood in her playpen, directly in line with the mirror, Lola seemed to be talking to her reflection.
“Guess she thinks there’s another kid in there.” McGee suggested
“Probably, maybe we should explain it to her. But she’s having way too much fun.”
“I’m not quite sure a baby would understand physics anyway.”
“Lola isn’t just any baby,” Abby insisted “she’s our baby, and really intelligent. I know she doesn’t talk back but it’s obvious she understands a whole load of words. So I bet she would get it, people totally underestimate babies.”
“Yeah OK she’s genius.” McGee concurred
“And didn’t I hear you last night explaining all about that new computer program of yours?”
“That was just to get her to sleep. It bores Tony that much so I figured …”
“Yeah but Lola’s going to be a computer geek one day. Between my nature and your nurture we will make it so, you’ll see.”
“It is pretty amazing really.” McGee smiled “Watching her grow up and learn all these things, becoming this unique person with her own distinct character. It’s such a great thing, even though part of me wants her to stay tiny forever.”
“I get that too … but hey we could always have another kid. I mean that is why we got a three bedroom place, right?”
“The spare room is going to be a study, you promised. So maybe we can have another kid when my next book is finished.”
“Seriously the rate you’re going Lola will have kids before then.”
“You can’t rush artistic genius.”
“I don’t want to rush it, just maybe give it a little poke. To get it going.”
McGee rolled his eyes, and decided to go make some coffee.
~oo0oo~
He came back to the bedroom to find Abby had climbed into the playpen and was styling Lola’s hair.
“You’re giving her pigtails.” McGee noted with a smile
“Yup, her hair is just long enough for it, with the teeny rubber bands.” Abby grinned “Now I have a proper mini-me.”
“Is the world ready for that?”
“Well ready or not here we come.”
Lola giggled, still enthralled with the mirror.
“What can you see?” McGee asked her, crouching down beside the playpen.
“Dada,” Lola said to his reflection, then looked at him “dada.”
For a moment she seemed slightly perplexed by the concept of seeing McGee in person and his reflection, then she giggled anew.
“You can’t write that off as just babbling.” Abby said
“No, I wasn’t going to.” McGee beamed “I’m her first word.”
“Well yeah, don’t look so surprised. She totally adores you.” Abby laughed “she was even trying to read your book, which would be really advanced. You’ve got yourself a little fangirl.”
“I never realised,” McGee admitted “because well I don’t really expect it. People really liking me. I mean everyone likes you; you’re just amazing like that. Where as a part of me is still the chubby loser kid who goes to chess camp.”
Abby hugged him
“High school is over, thank God. We’re grown ups now … we should look up your old classmates on myspace sometime. Like this girl who was totally evil to me, well she’s a soccer mom now, and married to this total ugly loser. And this guy who everyone had a crush except me, because he was such an arrogant jerk, he works in Wal-Mart. It’s like karma in action.”
“What about Tony though. He was a jock and all, but is doing OK.”
“He’s the exception that proves the rule; but come on, since when has DiNozzo been poster guy for the well adjusted.”
“Anyway, back to my point.” Abby began “Lola doesn’t know about high school, she just knows the real you. And that’s who she loves. Who we both love.”
McGee looked between them, seeing the love reflected in both their eyes.
“I know,” he said, pulling them close “and I love you.”
~oo0oo~
That evening Gibbs and Ducky came over for dinner. It had been Abby’s suggestion; and Gibbs accepted as he and Ducky were getting ‘baby withdrawal symptoms’.
“Great job with the painting.” Gibbs said, helping McGee to put up the mirror “I like the vanilla colour, goes well with the red”
“That was Tim’s choice,” Abby said. “He’s got a really good eye for colour.”
Gibbs took a step back and admired his handiwork.
“Looks even better up. Suppose I can’t really hold it against Duck for getting it.”
“It was a gift,” Ducky said innocently as he entered the room carrying Lola “for Abby and Tim, a wedding present no less. What could possibly be objectionable about that?”
“Nothing, Duck.”
Gibbs caught his lover’s satisfied smirk, but chose to ignore it.
“Abby does that too,” McGee noted, “like when she promised not to buy anymore clothes. Then went and did, for Lola.”
“Yeah well she is growing, and they are really cute clothes.”
“They’ll be the death of us,” Gibbs gave McGee a conspirital smile “and we won’t even mind.”
“Anyway,” Ducky said “I was going to say that dinner is ready.”
Once they had sat down to eat it became apparent Ducky had that same delighted anticipatory look he couldn’t avoid giving when he was plotting to reveal some wonderful idea or scheme.
“What you got up your sleeve, Duck?” Gibbs said “you better tell us, wouldn’t want you exploding with excitement.”
“Yeah, that’d make a really big mess.” Abby smiled
“I just thought, Jethro, that you could assist Lola in showing off her new linguistic skills.” Ducky said casually
“Oh yeah she said daddy today.” Abby told them, every bit the proud mother “and it totally was that because she looked right at McGee and everything.”
“How wonderful,” Ducky smiled at Lola “I always knew you were an exceptional young lady, you’ll go far.”
“That’s not your only talent is it Lola-Bug.” Gibbs caught Lola’s attention.
“Can you say mommy?” he said, making a small hand gesture, which Lola copied with ease.
“You’re teaching her baby sign language,” Abby grinned “that is so totally cool! I was going to start, but all the books and stuff said the babies have to be a bit older.”
“Well we all know that once Jethro gets a bee in his bonnet there will be no waiting around.” Ducky rolled his eyes, but with affection “the sign language has been his pet project for weeks. And no doubt it is here to stay.”
“Well in that case” McGee began “what’s the sign for ‘grandpa’?”