EXTREME MAKEOVER


Gibbs squirmed on the sofa, try as he might he couldn't get comfortable. There was something digging into his back. He reached under the afghan throw covering the sofa and came up with the offending article.
"DiNozzo!" he barked.
"Boss?" Tony's head poked round the door a few minutes later.
"What is this?" Gibbs enquired.
"A brassiere Boss, you've had three wives I thought you'd know that"
"I know what it is, what I want to know is why its on my sofa"
"Kirsty" DiNozzo grinned widely; he sketched her figure with his hands.
"I kinda guessed that by the size of this" Gibbs commented sourly, tossing the bra at Tony.
"You made out on my sofa!" he exclaimed.
"Well not exactly, you never made out on the sofa Boss?"
"That's not the point."
Tony grinned
"You have!" he said, triumphantly.
Gibbs fixed him with a stare.
"It's my sofa Tony," he said, levelly.
Tony shrugged.
"Don't worry Dad, nothing happened," he said.
"I wish I could believe that"
"Kirsty said the room was dingy"
"Dingy!" Gibbs exclaimed.
"Yep, said she had seen better fixtures and fitting in a cheap motel."
"Did she? Kinda says a lot about the women you date Tony." Gibbs observed, walking past his younger agent on his way to the kitchen "Shouldn't you get that back to her, wouldn't want her catching cold."

xxx

"Duck, would you say that my house was dingy?"
"Dingy, Jethro, whatever make you say that?" Ducky asked, putting a tray of instruments into the autoclave.
Gibbs shrugged.
"No reason."
Ducky wiped his hands on a paper towel.
"Dark in places, but not dingy" he continued "Although some of your furniture is a bit outdated. But then again I'm hardly the best judge of that am I? As you well know Mother's furnishing tastes are still rooted in the 1950's, I'm not really up to date with modern trends I'm afraid."
"No matter Duck" Gibbs assured him.

xxx

"Gibbs!" Abby squealed as he entered her lab. As usual loud music was pounding out.
"Abby I need to talk!" Gibbs shouted.
"Tests not finished yet!" Abby replied, "Another hour."
Gibbs shook his head in frustration.
"Abby!" he shouted again. She turned to look at him ‘Turn the music off' he signed.
Abby turned the stereo off.
"Why didn't you say Bossman?" she said.
"I just did" Gibbs replied
"Nope you did a mis-sign in the middle, I got ‘turn the moose off'" Abby laughed.
"Well it's been a while" Gibbs grinned.
"So what can I do for you?" Abby asked, twirling around on her chair. Gibbs grabbed her shoulders to stop her; she was making him feel sick.
"Abs, would you say my house was dingy?" he asked.
"Hell no Gibbs" Abby exclaimed. "Your place rocks!"
"You sure?" Gibbs asked, hesitantly.
"Sure, I love it, especially all that dark wood and stuff. It's cool and in the dark it's a bit creepy. Your place is the best!"
"So it's fine for a Goth?"
"Yeah kinda" Abby motioned with her hands, "Could do with a lot more black and I recommend a coffin"
Gibbs started to back out of the room
"Thanks Abs"

xxx

Gibbs closed the magazine he was reading with a sigh and tossed it onto his desk. The glossy sheen of the cover made it slide across the desk and fall off into the path of Kate Todd. She picked it up and surveyed the front cover.
"Elle Décor" she commented "I would have thought Practical Boat Building was more your style"
"Yeah, well" Gibbs stammered, grabbing the magazine off of her and stuffing it in his desk drawer.
"I personally find that magazine too glitzy, I prefer ‘Home'" Kate continued.
Gibbs regarded her for a moment.
"A word, in my office." He said.
Kate followed him to the elevator. Once inside, Gibbs punched the stop button.
"Gibbs, what's wrong?"
"Kate, you know a bit about interior design, don't you?" Gibbs asked. He had visited Kate's apartment and knew that her taste in furnishing was good, a little too ornate for his tastes, but still…
"Yes, it one of my hobbies," Kate replied "Why?"
Gibbs looked at the ceiling for a few minutes.
"Kate, I need your help"
"In what way?"
"DiNozzo said my place looks dingy," Gibbs admitted.
"And you took Tony's word?" Kate looked surprised.
"No, that's why I'm asking you."
"I couldn't comment Gibbs, I've only been over to your place once or twice."
"I'd value your opinion." Gibbs said, "Dinner tonight, 8pm my place" his eyes pleaded.
"What about Tony?" Kate asked.
"Out, hot babe" Gibbs grinned.
Kate smiled, "Okay Gibbs, tonight"

7.45 That Evening.

"Hot, hot, hot" Gibbs gasped, as he pulled the steaming dish of lasagnes out of the oven. He set it on the counter next to the tossed salad. Tossed might be too fancy a description for it. He'd thrown it at the bowl and ordered it to be nice.

Ping!

He was suddenly plunged into darkness.

"Damn bulb gone!" He muttered, groping his way to the fuse box in the basement to reset the circuit.
"Light bulb, light bulb," he rummaged in the drawer where such things were usually kept. No luck, the box was empty. They couldn't sit in the dark to eat their meal, there was no other option.

xxx

"Candles Gibbs, how romantic" Kate said as she entered the kitchen.
"Light bulb blew, no spare" Gibbs replied, taking the proffered bottle of wine.
A smile played on Kate's lips.
Gibbs stared her down for a moment.
"Make yourself comfortable," he said, turning to the cooker "Lasagne okay?" he enquired.
"Mmm, my favourite" Kate said, settling herself down at the table.
"My Mom…" they both started. Gibbs motioned her to continue, a gentle smile on his lips as he poured the wine.
"Had a wonderful recipe" Kate finished.
"Mine too" Gibbs replied.
"I didn't know you could cook" Kate commented "This is good!"
"Haven't lost anyone yet" Gibbs replied.

"So what are your plans?"
"Plans?" Gibbs asked, cradling his glass of wine "Desert perhaps, Coffee"
"No silly, the house, your makeover."
"Well I couldn't call it that"
"Show me" Kate said.
"Okay." Gibbs led the way to lounge.

xxx

"I see" Kate said, turning around, observing the tired furniture and drapes, the drab walls.
"Dingy?" Gibbs suggested.
"Drab maybe, dingy – no. I think you have a lot of natural light here. Which way does the house face?"
Gibbs shrugged "Sun come in here most of the day."
"Good. These drapes are far too heavy."
"Keeps out the cold." Gibbs observed. He was quite fond of the dark brown floor to ceiling velvet drapes.
"Blocks the light too." Kate replied. She pulled over a stool.
"Help me up" she said, taking a tape measure from her pocket.
"What ya doing Kate?" Gibbs asked.
"Measuring you for new drapes, well when I mean you I mean your window." Kate replied "I have a friend who does this sort of thing."
"I kinda figured you would"
"Careful!" Gibbs cried, as Kate overstretched and toppled from the stool, into his arms.

"Don't mind me, just passing through!" Tony DiNozzo's voice came from the doorway. He paused "Kate, it that you?"
"Tony!" Kate broke away from Gibbs embrace, flustered. "I was just measuring Gibbs'.."
"Oh were you?" Tony leant against the doorjamb, a grin on his face.
"Window." Kate finished, emphatically, "For new drapes."
"New drapes, huh Boss?" Tony grinned, "So Kirsty was right."
"Kirsty, who's Kirsty?" Kate asked.
"You don't want to know." Gibbs replied sourly.
"Not the redhead?" Kate asked "Is that her name, Kirsty?"
"No!" Gibbs snapped.
"Dingy Gibbs, remember." Tony teased.
"I know Tony." Gibbs growled.
"Will someone please tell me who Kirsty is?" Kate demanded.
"DiNozzo's hot babe" Gibbs said, dourly "She said this room was dingy and"
"She'd seen better cheap motel rooms." DiNozzo finished the sentence off for him.
"If she's going out with you Tony, I'm sure she has." Kate said, sweetly.
"Shouldn't you be somewhere else DiNozzo?" Gibbs asked.
"Yeah sure Boss" DiNozzo disappeared, to return a few minutes later.
"Candlelit dinner for two box, nice touch, very romantic." he commented.
"Bulbs out." Gibbs replied, stiffly.
"I didn't know you had it in you" Tony observed, ducking as a well aimed cushion came in his direction.