Christmas At Reston House--2009--PG
TITLE: Christmas at Reston House--2009
AUTHOR: Ashley-Pitt
CHARACTERS: Team Gibbs
PAIRINGS: Leroy Jethro Gibbs, Donald “Ducky” Mallard
GENRE: Slash, first time
WORD COUNT: 1022
PROMPT: Submitted for Gibbs/Ducky Yuletide Promptathon--2009--Family
DISCLAIMER: I do not own these characters, nor am I making any money from them. I borrow them once in awhile, bit put them away tidily
AUTHOR’S NOTE: I truly apologize for the awful typing in this story and for my lack of submitting stories recently. I managed to break my right arm a few days before Christmas, and the very festive red cast makes mousing and typing rather difficult.
The alarm shrilled in the cold room. An arm reached out from the warmth of the bed to still it.
Ducky pushed off the covers and sat on the edge of the bed.
Suddenly, he remembered that today was Christmas. He hurried to the window and looked out.
It had snowed over night. The firs surrounding Reston house were heavily burdened in white.
“Oh, my!” he said, as gleefully as a child.
“Mother. Mother you must come see. We have had a Christmas snow.” he called as he hurried to the bedroom door.
His voice echoed in the empty hall. His Mother was not there. She had died a few days after Thanksgiving.
Ducky shoulders slumped. His elation over the snow disappeared as quickly as it had come.
He walked slowly back into his room.
After he was dressed, he went to the kitchen and made some tea and toast. His plan was to go to the Presbyterian church in town for the ten am service and then to the cemetery.
He really did not have the heart to do either.
A short while later, he arrived at the church. He smiled briefly at the other church goers and slipped into the Mallard pew
The church was festooned with evergreen garlands and bows. Numerous candles burned brightly.
But, Ducky saw none of this. He sat quietly in his pew, his mind harkening back to happier Christmases.
The final song was announced. Ducky stood and opened his songbook by sheer habit.
Glorious Alleluias echoed thorough the church but he stood numb; tears welling in his eyes.
After the service, he bit a hasty greeting to the minister and went to his Morgan.
It was a short drive to the cemetery. He parked the car near section D. He got out and went to the trunk. Opening it, he took out an evergreen grave blanket.
Moving carefully across the snow, he stopped at the Mallard headstone.
He leaned down and carefully spread the blanket over the fresh snow.
When he was finished, he stood and said quietly “I know is a foolish extravagance Mother, but I just wanted to make sure that you were warm enough.”
He moved forward and let his fingers touch the cold marble. “Happy Christmas, Mother.”
He turned and made his way back to the Morgan.
A light snow had started again as he drove back to Reston house. Now that all his planned duties were done, Ducky had a few moments to think about his friends. He was truly sad to have canceled the annual Christmas Eve dinner at Reston house. But this year he just did not not have the energy or the will to carry it off.
He hoped that Jethro and the children would understand.
As he made the turn on to his street, he smelled wood smoke.
“Someone has a Christmas fire going.” he thought.
As he turned into his driveway, he was surprised to see several cars. He recognized Gibbs’s yellow Challenger and one or two others.
He parked the car in front of the house. He climbed the stairs, key in hand. But as he approached the newly be-wreathed door, it slowly opened.
“Merry Christmas, Duck!” Gibbs said.
“Jethro, what is going on?”
Gibbs shrugged and said, “It was all their idea”
Suddenly Abby came running down the hall “Ducky, Ducky, Ducky!” She said as she launched her self at the doctor and hugged him fiercely.
Ducky staggered slightly but remained upright.
Gibbs took Ducky’s coat as Abby grabbed his hand and led him into the sitting room.
All the children were gathered around the decorated Scotch pine and chorused” Merry Christmas” when they saw him.
“Oh, my,”
Ducky said softly. “ you have decorated it the old-fashioned way.”
“Yeah” Abby said,” Ziva, Tim, Jimmy and I strung the popcorn and the cranberries. Tony made the paper chains. He kept eating all the popcorn.”
“Needed salt” Tony said with a mouthful of cookie.
“We each brought a special ornament for the tree.” Abby explained.
“That is my dreidel, there.” Ziva said.
“I brought the surfer Santa holding the flamingo.” Tony said.
“I brought the Santa Wookie.” McGee said.
“Mine is the shiny green one. I used a hot glue gun and glitter and made a Caduceus” Palmer explained, his ears getting redder by the moment.
Gibbs handed Ducky a cup of mulled wine. “Not exactly your recipe for glogg, but I think you will like it.” he said with a smile.
Ducky cleared his throat and raised his voice. “I would like to make a toast. To my family. God bless us everyone.”
They all touched glasses and sipped
Abby and Tim disappeared, only to return in a moment with several trays of food.
“Oh, my.“ Ducky said again
They all ate and drank and talked until the grandfather clock in the hall chimed three.
“Oh, oh!” Abby said.“ I have to leave. I promised to help the Sisters served dinner to the homeless.”
“Yeah. I had better be leaving too.” said Tim.
“I don’t have to be home until four...oomph!” Palmer said as Abby placed a not so subtle elbow in his ribs. “Oh. That’s right. I have to leave now too.”
The children got their coats. Ducky gave each one a hug or a handshake or both and walked them to the door.
“Merry Christmas. Thank you!” He called after them.
Closing the door, he turned back into the hall. Jethro stood gazing at him fondly.
“I brought an ornament too, Duck.” he said as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a tissue wrapped parcel.
“Open it.”
Ducky took the small package and carefully unwrapped it.
He held it up. It was a small silver heart on a silver cord.
Gibbs moved closer. “I finally realized it, Ducky after all these years. I love you. I give you my heart, forever”
And gathering Ducky tightly in his arms, he kissed him.
Only slightly surprised by the kiss, Ducky looked up into the eyes as blue as his own and said again softly, “God bless us everyone.”
AUTHOR: Ashley-Pitt
CHARACTERS: Team Gibbs
PAIRINGS: Leroy Jethro Gibbs, Donald “Ducky” Mallard
GENRE: Slash, first time
WORD COUNT: 1022
PROMPT: Submitted for Gibbs/Ducky Yuletide Promptathon--2009--Family
DISCLAIMER: I do not own these characters, nor am I making any money from them. I borrow them once in awhile, bit put them away tidily
AUTHOR’S NOTE: I truly apologize for the awful typing in this story and for my lack of submitting stories recently. I managed to break my right arm a few days before Christmas, and the very festive red cast makes mousing and typing rather difficult.
The alarm shrilled in the cold room. An arm reached out from the warmth of the bed to still it.
Ducky pushed off the covers and sat on the edge of the bed.
Suddenly, he remembered that today was Christmas. He hurried to the window and looked out.
It had snowed over night. The firs surrounding Reston house were heavily burdened in white.
“Oh, my!” he said, as gleefully as a child.
“Mother. Mother you must come see. We have had a Christmas snow.” he called as he hurried to the bedroom door.
His voice echoed in the empty hall. His Mother was not there. She had died a few days after Thanksgiving.
Ducky shoulders slumped. His elation over the snow disappeared as quickly as it had come.
He walked slowly back into his room.
After he was dressed, he went to the kitchen and made some tea and toast. His plan was to go to the Presbyterian church in town for the ten am service and then to the cemetery.
He really did not have the heart to do either.
A short while later, he arrived at the church. He smiled briefly at the other church goers and slipped into the Mallard pew
The church was festooned with evergreen garlands and bows. Numerous candles burned brightly.
But, Ducky saw none of this. He sat quietly in his pew, his mind harkening back to happier Christmases.
The final song was announced. Ducky stood and opened his songbook by sheer habit.
Glorious Alleluias echoed thorough the church but he stood numb; tears welling in his eyes.
After the service, he bit a hasty greeting to the minister and went to his Morgan.
It was a short drive to the cemetery. He parked the car near section D. He got out and went to the trunk. Opening it, he took out an evergreen grave blanket.
Moving carefully across the snow, he stopped at the Mallard headstone.
He leaned down and carefully spread the blanket over the fresh snow.
When he was finished, he stood and said quietly “I know is a foolish extravagance Mother, but I just wanted to make sure that you were warm enough.”
He moved forward and let his fingers touch the cold marble. “Happy Christmas, Mother.”
He turned and made his way back to the Morgan.
A light snow had started again as he drove back to Reston house. Now that all his planned duties were done, Ducky had a few moments to think about his friends. He was truly sad to have canceled the annual Christmas Eve dinner at Reston house. But this year he just did not not have the energy or the will to carry it off.
He hoped that Jethro and the children would understand.
As he made the turn on to his street, he smelled wood smoke.
“Someone has a Christmas fire going.” he thought.
As he turned into his driveway, he was surprised to see several cars. He recognized Gibbs’s yellow Challenger and one or two others.
He parked the car in front of the house. He climbed the stairs, key in hand. But as he approached the newly be-wreathed door, it slowly opened.
“Merry Christmas, Duck!” Gibbs said.
“Jethro, what is going on?”
Gibbs shrugged and said, “It was all their idea”
Suddenly Abby came running down the hall “Ducky, Ducky, Ducky!” She said as she launched her self at the doctor and hugged him fiercely.
Ducky staggered slightly but remained upright.
Gibbs took Ducky’s coat as Abby grabbed his hand and led him into the sitting room.
All the children were gathered around the decorated Scotch pine and chorused” Merry Christmas” when they saw him.
“Oh, my,”
Ducky said softly. “ you have decorated it the old-fashioned way.”
“Yeah” Abby said,” Ziva, Tim, Jimmy and I strung the popcorn and the cranberries. Tony made the paper chains. He kept eating all the popcorn.”
“Needed salt” Tony said with a mouthful of cookie.
“We each brought a special ornament for the tree.” Abby explained.
“That is my dreidel, there.” Ziva said.
“I brought the surfer Santa holding the flamingo.” Tony said.
“I brought the Santa Wookie.” McGee said.
“Mine is the shiny green one. I used a hot glue gun and glitter and made a Caduceus” Palmer explained, his ears getting redder by the moment.
Gibbs handed Ducky a cup of mulled wine. “Not exactly your recipe for glogg, but I think you will like it.” he said with a smile.
Ducky cleared his throat and raised his voice. “I would like to make a toast. To my family. God bless us everyone.”
They all touched glasses and sipped
Abby and Tim disappeared, only to return in a moment with several trays of food.
“Oh, my.“ Ducky said again
They all ate and drank and talked until the grandfather clock in the hall chimed three.
“Oh, oh!” Abby said.“ I have to leave. I promised to help the Sisters served dinner to the homeless.”
“Yeah. I had better be leaving too.” said Tim.
“I don’t have to be home until four...oomph!” Palmer said as Abby placed a not so subtle elbow in his ribs. “Oh. That’s right. I have to leave now too.”
The children got their coats. Ducky gave each one a hug or a handshake or both and walked them to the door.
“Merry Christmas. Thank you!” He called after them.
Closing the door, he turned back into the hall. Jethro stood gazing at him fondly.
“I brought an ornament too, Duck.” he said as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a tissue wrapped parcel.
“Open it.”
Ducky took the small package and carefully unwrapped it.
He held it up. It was a small silver heart on a silver cord.
Gibbs moved closer. “I finally realized it, Ducky after all these years. I love you. I give you my heart, forever”
And gathering Ducky tightly in his arms, he kissed him.
Only slightly surprised by the kiss, Ducky looked up into the eyes as blue as his own and said again softly, “God bless us everyone.”