FIC: Long Distance Battles (Willow/NCIS)
Title: Long Distance Battles
Author: Lylip
Rating: PG
Crossover: Willow/NCIS
Words: 939
Prompt: 23 - Pride
Prompt table -> here
Disclaimer: I don't own either Buffy or NCIS - I'm just playing around in both universes.
Summary: Gibbs may have met his match. (TtH100)
Note: Gibbs has been building a wooden boat in his basement for years - with hand tools.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
“Look, why don't you come here for the summer.” suggested Gibbs into the phone - cordless, after the fourth call from Willow that had him tied to a three foot radius of the phone jack in his basement - held between ear and shoulder. It wasn't the most comfortable of positions, but he was a Marine - he would deal. Besides, it gave him free hands to work on his beloved boat.
”I can't just leave Sunnydale for the summer.”
“Why not?” he asked her, his hands never stopping their movements as he smoothed out another board that would be the backbone of the hull. “What's keeping you in California for the summer?”
”I have friends here-”
“Who you see all year long.” he interrupted her. “Besides, you told me that this Giles guy was taking Buffy and Dawn to England for the summer, and that your friend Xander was going to be working some big construction job outside of San Francisco.” The knowledge that an older man would be taking one of Willow's friends and her fifteen year old sister to a foreign country for several months was more than a little hinky in his mind. However, Willow had assured him that nothing 'untoward' was going on - her word, not his - and to think of it more like a field trip for school.
His priority at the moment wasn't the strange relationship between a school-librarian-turned-store-owner and one of his former students. Gibbs was trying his damnedest to get Willow to DC for the summer. The week she had spent with him a month earlier had been the most enjoyable in his recent memory.
“I know, but Anya's going to be all alone and I don't want her to think I've abandonned her.”
“She'll be busy enough running the store and planning the wedding, Willow.” he told her, putting his tools down so he could devote his full attention to this conversation. His gut was telling him she was close to folding, and he didn't want to waste the opportunity.
“But she'll need help, and there are a couple of classes I was thinking of taking-”
“You have enough credits to graduate a year early. And besides,” he pushed on, determined to win this battle of wills. “when do you get to do what you want. When was the last time you did something - anything - because you wanted to, not to help one of your friends out of some situation.”
”But I want to help my friends. That's what friends do.”
“When was the last time one of them helped you with something you were interested in? Or went somewhere that you wanted to go?” he asked her. Throughout their many conversations, Gibbs had noted this recurring theme when Willow talked about her friends. School work was about the only thing that she ever did for herself, with most of her recounted activities leading off with 'Buffy wanted to see....' or 'Giles asked me to....' or some variation involving one of her friends.
“Well, I've been busy recently.”
“Doing what?” he prodded, keeping his voice quiet and calm.
Pause.
”Helping Buffy study. Taking care of the house. Watching the store for Anya and Giles. Doing computer stuff for Giles. Listening to Anya plan the wedding. Listening to Xander complain about Anya planning the wedding...”
She sounded resigned and defeated, which hadn't been Gibbs' plan in the slightest. He was still learning the minefield that was his niece's personality, and realized he'd probably pushed too far.
“Come to DC.” he repeated, injecting some excitement into his voice that was completely real. “You'll stay with me for the summer, we'll get to know each other better. And if you get bored with my company, you can always go find summer job. Hell, I can hook you up at NCIS.”
”I don't want to impose.”
“You're never an imposition, Willow.” he assured her, pleased to hear she sounded more upbeat than she had a moment before, if a little unsure. “You're family. The only real family I have left.”
A long moment of silence followed, then...
sniff
“Are you crying?” he demanded, hearing more sniffing sounds from the other end of the line. “You stop that right now.” he told her.
Jethro Gibbs did not do crying women well. Psychotic, rage-driven women coming at him with golf clubs...that he could deal with; tears, on the other hand - not so much.
”Ok.”
“Ok - what?” he asked, not sure if she was talking about the summer or the tears. Hopefully, both.
”Ok - I'll come to DC for the summer.”
“Well...good.” he said, thrown off balance by her sudden capitulation. It was a feeling he wasn't particularly fond of, but found himself experiencing more often than not in his dealings with Willow.
”I'll let you know when I'm coming down.”
“You do that.” he said. “And take care of yourself.”
“You too, Uncle Jethro. Night.”
“Goodnight, Willow.”
Hanging up the phone, Gibbs paused for a moment, reflecting on these latest developments. He hadn't expected to win so easily. So either Willow was more of a pushover than he had originally thought, or she'd made up her mind before tonight, and had just been stringing him along until she was satisfied that he believed he'd won.
That little minx. he thought fondly, shaking his head and smiling with pride.
This was going to be an interesting summer.
End
(x-posted in lyl_devil)
Author: Lylip
Rating: PG
Crossover: Willow/NCIS
Words: 939
Prompt: 23 - Pride
Prompt table -> here
Disclaimer: I don't own either Buffy or NCIS - I'm just playing around in both universes.
Summary: Gibbs may have met his match. (TtH100)
Note: Gibbs has been building a wooden boat in his basement for years - with hand tools.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
“Look, why don't you come here for the summer.” suggested Gibbs into the phone - cordless, after the fourth call from Willow that had him tied to a three foot radius of the phone jack in his basement - held between ear and shoulder. It wasn't the most comfortable of positions, but he was a Marine - he would deal. Besides, it gave him free hands to work on his beloved boat.
”I can't just leave Sunnydale for the summer.”
“Why not?” he asked her, his hands never stopping their movements as he smoothed out another board that would be the backbone of the hull. “What's keeping you in California for the summer?”
”I have friends here-”
“Who you see all year long.” he interrupted her. “Besides, you told me that this Giles guy was taking Buffy and Dawn to England for the summer, and that your friend Xander was going to be working some big construction job outside of San Francisco.” The knowledge that an older man would be taking one of Willow's friends and her fifteen year old sister to a foreign country for several months was more than a little hinky in his mind. However, Willow had assured him that nothing 'untoward' was going on - her word, not his - and to think of it more like a field trip for school.
His priority at the moment wasn't the strange relationship between a school-librarian-turned-store-owner and one of his former students. Gibbs was trying his damnedest to get Willow to DC for the summer. The week she had spent with him a month earlier had been the most enjoyable in his recent memory.
“I know, but Anya's going to be all alone and I don't want her to think I've abandonned her.”
“She'll be busy enough running the store and planning the wedding, Willow.” he told her, putting his tools down so he could devote his full attention to this conversation. His gut was telling him she was close to folding, and he didn't want to waste the opportunity.
“But she'll need help, and there are a couple of classes I was thinking of taking-”
“You have enough credits to graduate a year early. And besides,” he pushed on, determined to win this battle of wills. “when do you get to do what you want. When was the last time you did something - anything - because you wanted to, not to help one of your friends out of some situation.”
”But I want to help my friends. That's what friends do.”
“When was the last time one of them helped you with something you were interested in? Or went somewhere that you wanted to go?” he asked her. Throughout their many conversations, Gibbs had noted this recurring theme when Willow talked about her friends. School work was about the only thing that she ever did for herself, with most of her recounted activities leading off with 'Buffy wanted to see....' or 'Giles asked me to....' or some variation involving one of her friends.
“Well, I've been busy recently.”
“Doing what?” he prodded, keeping his voice quiet and calm.
Pause.
”Helping Buffy study. Taking care of the house. Watching the store for Anya and Giles. Doing computer stuff for Giles. Listening to Anya plan the wedding. Listening to Xander complain about Anya planning the wedding...”
She sounded resigned and defeated, which hadn't been Gibbs' plan in the slightest. He was still learning the minefield that was his niece's personality, and realized he'd probably pushed too far.
“Come to DC.” he repeated, injecting some excitement into his voice that was completely real. “You'll stay with me for the summer, we'll get to know each other better. And if you get bored with my company, you can always go find summer job. Hell, I can hook you up at NCIS.”
”I don't want to impose.”
“You're never an imposition, Willow.” he assured her, pleased to hear she sounded more upbeat than she had a moment before, if a little unsure. “You're family. The only real family I have left.”
A long moment of silence followed, then...
sniff
“Are you crying?” he demanded, hearing more sniffing sounds from the other end of the line. “You stop that right now.” he told her.
Jethro Gibbs did not do crying women well. Psychotic, rage-driven women coming at him with golf clubs...that he could deal with; tears, on the other hand - not so much.
”Ok.”
“Ok - what?” he asked, not sure if she was talking about the summer or the tears. Hopefully, both.
”Ok - I'll come to DC for the summer.”
“Well...good.” he said, thrown off balance by her sudden capitulation. It was a feeling he wasn't particularly fond of, but found himself experiencing more often than not in his dealings with Willow.
”I'll let you know when I'm coming down.”
“You do that.” he said. “And take care of yourself.”
“You too, Uncle Jethro. Night.”
“Goodnight, Willow.”
Hanging up the phone, Gibbs paused for a moment, reflecting on these latest developments. He hadn't expected to win so easily. So either Willow was more of a pushover than he had originally thought, or she'd made up her mind before tonight, and had just been stringing him along until she was satisfied that he believed he'd won.
That little minx. he thought fondly, shaking his head and smiling with pride.
This was going to be an interesting summer.
End
(x-posted in lyl_devil)