New NCIS fic: Rings and Things
Title: Rings and Things
Fandom: NCIS
Characters: Ziva, Gibbs, Abby
Spoilers: None
Prompt: #18 Black
Word Count: 962
Rating: K+
Summary: So, when they pulled up in front of a small jewelry store, Ziva was surprised.
Author's Notes: This is an AU, inspired in part by wiccagirl24’s wonderful Kelly!verse. In this ‘verse Emily Fornell is actually Emily Gibbs.
Ziva was used to Gibbs stopping to ‘run an errand’ on the way back from interviews or crime scenes, but these errands were to pick up coffee and a Caff!Pow for Abby. So, when they pulled up in front of a small jewelry store, Ziva was surprised. A small nod of Gibbs’ head was the only indication that she was invited to join him.
The store was the type that required you be buzzed in, but the girl behind the counter had seen them approaching and opened the door before they neared it, “Hello, Agent Gibbs.”
“Susan,” he gave her a smile, “How are you?”
“Fine. I guess Mr. Markesan called you to let you know that your ring was ready. If you give me a minute, I’ll go get it,” the girl returned the smile as she led them deeper into the store.
Gibbs nodded as he leant a hip against the glass display case to await the girls return.
Ziva perused a few of the cases, before moving next to Gibbs, “You buy many things here?”
“Nope.”
“The sales assistant seemed to know you well.”
Gibbs gave the Israeli officer a look, “It’s a special order.”
“And it turned out beautifully, if I do say so myself,” an older gentleman appeared from the backroom where the young blond had disappeared.
“Well, Herman, if anybody knows about beauty it would be you,” Gibbs teased.
“Speaking of beauty,” the man nodded towards Ziva with a predatory smile.
Gibbs shook his head, “Officer Ziva David… Mr. Herman Markesan. Ziva, Herman here is the craftsman of all the jewelry in this store. Herman, Ziva carries more weapons than I do.”
Herman coughed lightly as he nodded at Ziva. Turning back to Gibbs, he placed a red velvet box on the counter top, “There it is. Tell me what you think.”
At Gibbs crooked finger, Ziva slid closer to better see when Gibbs opened the box. Picking it up, Gibbs slowly opened the box. Nestled inside the red velvet was an eternity band, but not just any eternity band. The metal of the band was platinum and the stones were highly faceted black diamonds; together they created a unique yet classic ring.
“For Abby,” Ziva asked, her fingers nearing the ring.
“Mmm,” he acknowledge as he removed the ring from the box and handed it to her. “Read the sides.”
Ziva turned the ring and realize that the ornate sides of the band actually were words. She twisted the ring as she read, “For Always. Forever.” She looked up at her boss, “Gibbs, are you going to ask Abby to marry you?”
“No, but marriage isn’t the only thing that is forever,” Gibbs took the ring back and slid it down his pinky, staring at it for a moment.
Herman looked at Ziva, “Sometimes, marriage is for a lot less than forever. Love and family and friendship, these are lasting qualities.”
“Yes, this is true,” Ziva nodded.
<><><><><><><><>
A week later Ziva found herself watching Abby’s hands as she worked with a piece of evidence. On the ring finger of Abby’s left hand was a bulge that had never been there before. Ziva wondered if it was the ring that she had witnessed Gibbs retrieve from the jewelers.
Abby must have sensed Ziva’s preoccupation with her hand, because as soon as she put away the evidence she stripped off the latex glove and wiggled her fingers at Ziva, “Gibbs said that you really liked it when you saw it. What do you think of my additions?”
Ziva caught Abby’s hand to have a better look. Directly under the ring, looking almost attached, where several inky black letters in the same script as the letters on the ring. “LJG, ERG, AAS?”
“Gibbs’, Em’s, and my initials.”
Ziva laughed, “Yes that is much more like you now. I like it.”
“Thanks,” Abby surprised the other woman with a hug before she skipped back towards her computer. The screensaver, which was the picture that Estacia had included in the adoption papers, disappeared as she began typing.
“What is it like,” Ziva asked moving next to Abby.
Abby looked at her, confusion knitting her brow, “What is what like?”
“Being a mom,” Ziva motioned to the picture of Emily sitting next to the monitor. “Is it different?”
“Different than what? If you’re asking if it is different than being single, then hell yes. If you’re asking if it is different than it was a month ago when I was living with Gibbs and Em, then no. That piece of paper didn’t really change anything. It just made it legal for me to do what I’d want to do anyway - raise Emily - if anything was to happen to Gibbs.”
“Don’t you feel a greater sense of responsibility?”
Abby shrugged, “Not really. I think I experienced that when I first moved in with them. I mean it is one thing to stay over now and again and to spend time with Emily, but twenty-four/seven. That freaked me out a little at first. Em and I have a good relationship and she’s always been pretty responsive to me.”
“You are different, here and there. Here you are so energetic and hyper. There you seemed more reserved, more quiet,” Ziva spoke softly as if she was awed by what she had seen at Christmas.
“Ziva,” Abby used the ring to tap Ziva’s forearm. “There is my home, my family, my forever, my for always. It is peace, even with all its insanity. Here, not so much.”
“True,” Ziva surprised herself by leaning over and quickly kissing Abby’s cheek. She started to leave, but added, “It looks good on you.”
Abby’s smile told her that she understood Ziva wasn’t just talking about the ring.
Fandom: NCIS
Characters: Ziva, Gibbs, Abby
Spoilers: None
Prompt: #18 Black
Word Count: 962
Rating: K+
Summary: So, when they pulled up in front of a small jewelry store, Ziva was surprised.
Author's Notes: This is an AU, inspired in part by wiccagirl24’s wonderful Kelly!verse. In this ‘verse Emily Fornell is actually Emily Gibbs.
Ziva was used to Gibbs stopping to ‘run an errand’ on the way back from interviews or crime scenes, but these errands were to pick up coffee and a Caff!Pow for Abby. So, when they pulled up in front of a small jewelry store, Ziva was surprised. A small nod of Gibbs’ head was the only indication that she was invited to join him.
The store was the type that required you be buzzed in, but the girl behind the counter had seen them approaching and opened the door before they neared it, “Hello, Agent Gibbs.”
“Susan,” he gave her a smile, “How are you?”
“Fine. I guess Mr. Markesan called you to let you know that your ring was ready. If you give me a minute, I’ll go get it,” the girl returned the smile as she led them deeper into the store.
Gibbs nodded as he leant a hip against the glass display case to await the girls return.
Ziva perused a few of the cases, before moving next to Gibbs, “You buy many things here?”
“Nope.”
“The sales assistant seemed to know you well.”
Gibbs gave the Israeli officer a look, “It’s a special order.”
“And it turned out beautifully, if I do say so myself,” an older gentleman appeared from the backroom where the young blond had disappeared.
“Well, Herman, if anybody knows about beauty it would be you,” Gibbs teased.
“Speaking of beauty,” the man nodded towards Ziva with a predatory smile.
Gibbs shook his head, “Officer Ziva David… Mr. Herman Markesan. Ziva, Herman here is the craftsman of all the jewelry in this store. Herman, Ziva carries more weapons than I do.”
Herman coughed lightly as he nodded at Ziva. Turning back to Gibbs, he placed a red velvet box on the counter top, “There it is. Tell me what you think.”
At Gibbs crooked finger, Ziva slid closer to better see when Gibbs opened the box. Picking it up, Gibbs slowly opened the box. Nestled inside the red velvet was an eternity band, but not just any eternity band. The metal of the band was platinum and the stones were highly faceted black diamonds; together they created a unique yet classic ring.
“For Abby,” Ziva asked, her fingers nearing the ring.
“Mmm,” he acknowledge as he removed the ring from the box and handed it to her. “Read the sides.”
Ziva turned the ring and realize that the ornate sides of the band actually were words. She twisted the ring as she read, “For Always. Forever.” She looked up at her boss, “Gibbs, are you going to ask Abby to marry you?”
“No, but marriage isn’t the only thing that is forever,” Gibbs took the ring back and slid it down his pinky, staring at it for a moment.
Herman looked at Ziva, “Sometimes, marriage is for a lot less than forever. Love and family and friendship, these are lasting qualities.”
“Yes, this is true,” Ziva nodded.
<><><><><><><><>
A week later Ziva found herself watching Abby’s hands as she worked with a piece of evidence. On the ring finger of Abby’s left hand was a bulge that had never been there before. Ziva wondered if it was the ring that she had witnessed Gibbs retrieve from the jewelers.
Abby must have sensed Ziva’s preoccupation with her hand, because as soon as she put away the evidence she stripped off the latex glove and wiggled her fingers at Ziva, “Gibbs said that you really liked it when you saw it. What do you think of my additions?”
Ziva caught Abby’s hand to have a better look. Directly under the ring, looking almost attached, where several inky black letters in the same script as the letters on the ring. “LJG, ERG, AAS?”
“Gibbs’, Em’s, and my initials.”
Ziva laughed, “Yes that is much more like you now. I like it.”
“Thanks,” Abby surprised the other woman with a hug before she skipped back towards her computer. The screensaver, which was the picture that Estacia had included in the adoption papers, disappeared as she began typing.
“What is it like,” Ziva asked moving next to Abby.
Abby looked at her, confusion knitting her brow, “What is what like?”
“Being a mom,” Ziva motioned to the picture of Emily sitting next to the monitor. “Is it different?”
“Different than what? If you’re asking if it is different than being single, then hell yes. If you’re asking if it is different than it was a month ago when I was living with Gibbs and Em, then no. That piece of paper didn’t really change anything. It just made it legal for me to do what I’d want to do anyway - raise Emily - if anything was to happen to Gibbs.”
“Don’t you feel a greater sense of responsibility?”
Abby shrugged, “Not really. I think I experienced that when I first moved in with them. I mean it is one thing to stay over now and again and to spend time with Emily, but twenty-four/seven. That freaked me out a little at first. Em and I have a good relationship and she’s always been pretty responsive to me.”
“You are different, here and there. Here you are so energetic and hyper. There you seemed more reserved, more quiet,” Ziva spoke softly as if she was awed by what she had seen at Christmas.
“Ziva,” Abby used the ring to tap Ziva’s forearm. “There is my home, my family, my forever, my for always. It is peace, even with all its insanity. Here, not so much.”
“True,” Ziva surprised herself by leaning over and quickly kissing Abby’s cheek. She started to leave, but added, “It looks good on you.”
Abby’s smile told her that she understood Ziva wasn’t just talking about the ring.