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Peja's Wonderful World of Makebelieve Import
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Published:
2020-11-05
Completed:
2010-09-18
Words:
2,454
Chapters:
3/3
Comments:
4
Kudos:
24
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2
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2,663

Rule Twenty Three

Summary:

Never mess with a Marine's coffee if you want to live. Some people just can't leave well enough alone!

Chapter 1: Chapter 1

Notes:

Bellesario Productions owns all NCIS characters and settings. I'm just playing in their sandbox. I make no money from this!

Chapter Text

Gibbs breezed into the Jumping Beans coffee shop and halted, just to inhale. The aroma of the place always struck him as warm and inviting: cinnamon, nutmeg, and dark cocoa wafted through the air,
complementing the scent of at least 10 different warm, roasted beans. He
sniffed: Tanji’s promise to add spiced ciders had been fulfilled as well. He looked for the pastry table—found it—made his selections and headed for the counter. Tanji was waiting.

Her smile could make a rainy day bright, Gibbs thought to himself,
and he knew a lot of cops in the DC area who made a point to stop by her shop
because of that fact. Her father—a Pakistani immigrant—had married a
Mexican-American beauty, and the genetic blend had produced five gorgeous
children. Tanji was the oldest, and at 25 it was a miracle she was still
single. Olive skin and raven hair framed her heart-shaped face, and her teeth
had a porcelain shine most models envied. With her looks, language arts, and
her sense of humor, she could have draped herself on any politician’s arm, and
nobody would have thought twice of it. Instead, she had taken her grandmother’s
recipes for coffees and desserts, and opened the hottest coffee shop on the
Hill.

Starbucks was worried. They should be, thought Gibbs.

He managed a smile when he reached her counter. She
reminded him a little of Abby: immersed in caffeine and surrounded by technical
devices, she never seemed to stop moving.

“What will it be, Mr. Gibbs?” She smiled at him
again, and it was plain she was honestly glad to see him. Some people had a
difficult time understanding her, but Gibbs was not one of them. “The usual
Marine Mix with an anchor?”

“One Marine Mix, one Manhattan Masher, one Tevye
Topper, and a Writer’s Block,” he ordered swiftly, “and a dozen of those cheese
blintzes, too. My team has been very good this week,” he explained. He looked
closely at her face. “You ok? You look kind of stressed.”

Tanji shrugged as she rang up his order, and turned
around to fill the coffees he had requested, adding appropriate labels to each
cup. She stuffed the pastries in a bag, and on what looked like a whim added a
tall fresh juice. “It’s nothing I can’t handle, just the usual morning rush
hour. Your total is $29.95,” she announced.

He pointed to the juice. “I didn’t order this,
Tanji.” Something else struck his nose, making it smart for just a second, but
he dismissed it. Probably just cleaning
solution in the back
, he reasoned.

“That is for Abby; she emailed me. She was going to
pick it up, but I can put it on her account. Since you are going to be in the
same office…”

“Got it, got it. I have to see her first thing this
morning, anyway.” He pulled out a few bills. “Don’t bother putting this on
Abby’s tab. I’ll get it this time.”

“You spoil that girl,” she said with a pout.

“Well, yeah, somebody has to,” Gibbs countered.
“When are you going to let me set you up with McGee? Spoiling you could become his job, and might let me off the hook
for a while.”

Tanji shook a finger at his naughty face. “Don’t you
go playing matchmaker, Mr. Gibbs. My mother already does that!”

“You ever get those security cameras your dad
mentioned?” Gibbs asked, feeling protective all of a sudden.

“Yes,” she said, and pointed to the round mirrors
that decorated the place. “My father set them up over the weekend. Now he can
keep me from ever getting a real boyfriend!”

“Nah,” Gibbs grinned as he picked up his order. “He
just wants to keep an eye on his favorite girl.”

“His only girl, you mean,” she said with a raised
eyebrow.

“Well, yeah. Wouldn’t that make you his favorite?”
Gibbs grinned as he backed out of the café, the bell on the door tinkling as he
did so.

Tanji watched him go, and sighed. Mr. Gibbs had a
reputation in the neighborhood as a tough guy, but he and his team-mates had
been faithful customers since she had opened. And Mr. McGee was cute, she reminded herself, but he
seemed awkward whenever he was around her, and had never asked her out. For a
long second, she wished Mr. Gibbs would come back. Maybe she could tell him…

The doorbell tinkled again as Abby Sciuto walked
through and waved.

Tanji’s heart skipped a beat, and for a moment she
looked stricken.

“Abby, didn’t you see Gibbs?” Tanji gave her a
worried look.

“Gibbs? Nope, not yet. I haven’t been to work yet,
Tanji. Do you have my order ready? I’m really in a hurry; I have a ton of work
to do today,” Abby explained quickly.

“Mr. Gibbs was just here, and I gave it him for you.
If you hurry, you can get one of the cheese blintzes he picked up to go with
it,” Tanji urged.

Abby’s mouth formed a small ‘o’ at the mention of
Tanji’s cheese blintzes. “Are those the ones with the yogurt cheese and
lingonberries?” She gave a small shiver of delight. “I swear, girl, you’re
gonna make me gain 20 lbs if I keep eating here!”

“You won’t get one if the Manhattan Masher gets to
the pile before you do,” Tanji cautioned her. “Now get going or you’re going to
be late,” she motioned to the door.

Abby paused, confused. “Why do I get the feeling
you’re trying to get rid of me, Tanji? Was it something I said? I know I
haven’t paid my balance yet, but it isn’t the end of the month or anything,
and…”

“Abby: get out.” The American Sign Language was
unmistakable. She was being ordered to leave, and Tanji looked suddenly
terrified.

“Is there a problem, Miss Tanji?” A gruff voice came
from the back kitchen, and an equally stern-looking man came through the
swinging door. He stood at least 6’ 2”, and his coffee-colored arms showed
impressive musculature underneath wicked-looking scars.

“No, Samir,” Tanji said quickly, speaking for the
first time. “This lady was just leaving.”

‘Samir’, whoever he was, motioned to someone behind
him, and another dark shape dashed behind him to lock the door. Abby’s exit was
blocked.

“Why would your guest want to leave?” Samir asked
smoothly. “She has just arrived, and has had nothing to eat or drink. Make her
comfortable, Tanji,” he commanded, looking into her eyes until she shrank from
him, “and keep her quiet. Abu, we are closed,” he said to the boy standing at
the door. “Jamal, lock up the women.”

Abu shut off the ‘OPEN’ sign.

Abby felt the blood drain from her face.

TBC