"Emailing your boyfriend, Abbs?"
"He's not my boyfriend!" Abby said defensively.
"Smart, sweet,older guy, with a wonderful sense of humor and you're not dating him?" Gibbs had his doubts. Abby talked about Alan sometimesusing some of the terms that Gibbs had imitated.
"He's seeing someone" Abby said, and grabbed her drink. Then, to change the subject, she proceeded to debrief Gibbs about some findings she made on a case.
9999
"That Gibbs really runs Abby ragged" Alan complained to his sons over dinner hours later. "He expects her to do the work of several people."
"Where does Abby work anyway?"Charlie asked as he served himself some more roast beef.
"She works forensics for NCIS in Maryland." Alan said. Abby had finally told Alan what she really did. "Gibbs is an investigator who likes to slap his male subordinates on the back of the head. He has at least three ex-wives"
888
A few days later, Edna came to the house for dinner.
"You and my Edward would have lots in common. He works in insurance, and was an economics major in college." she told Charlie.
"Her younger son is a writer" Alan added.
"What kind of stuff does he write?" Don asked.
"Mostly fiction, though at the moment he's writing for a newspaper."
"Alan tells me that you two work together on cases." she commented whilst serving herself a spoonful of mashed potatoes.
"Charlie uses math to help solve crimes" Alan boasted.
"How, if I may ask?"
Careful not to violate anything, Charlie made up an example based on real life, and explained the role of math to her in great detail, even going so far, as to write complex equations on napkins.
At the end of the evening, Alan walked Edna to her car, and they kissed.
"I'll see you tomorrow night?"
"Yeah." he said, as they kissed again. After a moment, she reluctantly pulled away from him, got into her car, and left.
Sighing, he went back into the house.
"She's great dad!" Don said.
"She seems nice." Charlie told Alan.
88888
At midday, her time, Abby read Alan's email.
"Things clicked between Edna and the boys. They seemed to like her alot.That new recipe came out wonderfully. Everyone had seconds. Don't let Gibbs work you too hard .I look forward to our next game."
"Something wrong?" Ducky asked as he came in . He saw something in Abby's face.
"No, I'm just reading an email from my scrabble buddy"
"You mean the retired city planner from Los Angeles?"
"Yeah."
"Oh. How is he?"
"Great! He introduced his new girlfriend to his sons."
"I see"something in her tone got him thinking.
88888
Time passed and Alan read Abby's response
"I'm glad Charlie and Don are supportive of you dating. Otherwise, I would have gone to L.A to kick their asses!"
Alan chuckled, and continued to read the email.
"And it's awesome that they both loved Edna. She seems like a great woman. You deserve her. I should be able to play with you again by Saturday night. Prepare to lose!"
"How was your week?" Alan asked as he made the first move
"Busy. I spent most of it at the lab."
"Like my sons. They're true workaholics!"
"Do you get lonely when they're working around the clock?"
"My life is full between volunteering, golfing and friendships." Alan answered, not willing to admit that he sometimes got lonely.
"You don't miss working?"
"Not anymore"
"How did you get into city planning anyway?"
"When I graduated from college, my uncle suggested I try for a job in the city of L.A. I took the tests, and waited forever to be called for an interview." Alan answered. Abby had previously shown interest in his work by asking him about what it had entailed, though the conversation veered towards some complaints she had about zoning laws, that had made Alan both chuckle and raise his eyebrows. "How did you get a job with NCIS?"
"It looked cool,and I applied " Abby answered.
"So how are things with Josh?"
"Josh had to go to the doctor today because he sprained his arm in the closet. He took the brunt of the fall because I was on top."
Alan had a feeling Josh didn't injure himself by installing shelves. "I don't need to know all the details." He truly did not want get into the specifics of Josh's injury.
99999
"It's late! I need to start dinner!" Alan said as they played yet another game a few hours later. "Let's adjourn the game and finish it later."
"Sure"
"It's not like dad to be late with dinner" Don remarked as he drank a beer in the living room.. It was half an hour past the usual time for Saturday dinner.
"He's probably been playing scrabble again." Charlie said.
"Dinner's ready!" Alan called.
999
"How's your week so far?" Abby asked on Thursday as they played. It was around ten at night her time.
"Fine"
"What's wrong?" Abby knew that one syllable answers meant that something was amiss.
"She's has to go to Oakland for while becauseone of her sisters is sick."
88888
A week after Edna's departure, Alan returned from shopping only to find Abby at the front porch, with a couple of small suitcases next to her.
"Surprise!" she said. He dropped the paper grocery bags that he was carrying.
"Ah...how was the flight?" Alan asked lamely, as he noticed Abby's goth look, and still loved her smile.
"Great"
Quickly, Alan picked up the bags, and invited her to come in. On one hand, he was pleasantly surprised to meet the person behind the screenname, but then he worried about Edna finding out that Abby was visiting. He knew that if things had been reversed, and some younger, male , online friend came to visit Edna, it would bother him.
"Were you about to make dinner?" she asked him.
"Yeah.So ah how did you get that slave driver, Gibbs, to let you have time off?" Alan put the bags on the kitchen counter. He felt too flustered to put the things away.
"I managed."
"Why don't I give you the grand tour?" he suggested.
"Sure"
Alan kicked himself for suggesting a grand tour, but Abby's visit had taken him totally off guard.
During the tour, Abby found herself liking the sound of Alan's voice.
"...and this is the solarium. Charlie loves to spend hours here, doing his work."
"It's nice"
Afterwards, Alan nervously began dinner as Abby kept him company.
"So..how did you learn to cook?"
"When Charlie was thirteen, he went to Princeton with his mother, so I needed to learn. But then I found myself enjoying it." Alan found it hard to focus on the task at hand.
"Need help with something?"
"No" Alan did some dicing.
Just then, Charlie came into the kitchen to say hi to Alan, but was surprised to see a goth woman.
"Charlie, th-this isAbby" Alan said to his son's puzzled face with some embarrasment.
"Oh..."
"Hi!" Abby shook his hand.
"Hi!" Charlie said back, and found it surreal that a goth was in the kitchen with his father
"She's ah..joining us for dinner" Alan informed him, awkwardly.
TBC
Author's Chapter Notes:
In this crossover with Numb3rs, Alan and Abby form an online friendship.
Part 2(aka chs 5-6): Abby and Alan continue to play scrabble together. Little does the city planner know what surprise is in store for him!:)
Part 2(aka chs 5-6): Abby and Alan continue to play scrabble together. Little does the city planner know what surprise is in store for him!:)
Chapter End Notes:
I've got lots of chapters in this story, so I'll put a bunch at a time together.
Also, for most of the story, they are chatting online.
Also, for most of the story, they are chatting online.