So, since I'm rather new to the show, I don't know exactly where this would be placed in the show canon, but somewhere when Ziva first joined the team and Abby didn't seem to like her a whole lot. This will be multi-chapter, so please read and review. In your comments, let me know if you like what I've got so far and leave suggestions for coming chapters.

Abby Scuito stood in the mall, spinning around in place while trying to decide which direction to go first. Ziva David rolled her eyes and huffed impatiently. She still had no clue how she ended up at the mall with the Goth. Abby had been being nice to her lately and so she had agreed against her better judgment, but now she was regretting it.

"Abby! Why did you drag me here if you are just going to spin around like a jack-in-a-box?"

"Spin around like a top, Ziva. Jack-in-a-boxes jump!"

"The box jumps?"

"No! The jack inside does!"

"Jack like a person or jack like those sharp little toys that you played with the other day with the bouncing ball?"

"Like a clown!"

"What is like a clown?"

Abby paused. "Have you ever seen a jack-in-a-box before, Miss Assassin?"

"No," Ziva said bluntly. "Anyway, no matter what strange American thing it is, I do not want to stand here forever. Let us continue with the shopping or go home."

Abby spun around again with the enthusiasm of a puppy chasing it's tail. "But I don't know where to go first!"

"Where do they sell knives? Gibbs took one of my knives the other day and never returned it. I think he has sticky toes."

"You think he is a frog?" asked a very confused Abby.

"No! I think he stole it!"

"That would be sticky fingers, and why in the world would you think that Gibbs stole your knife! That's crazy!"

"He said that it was not good for me to have it."

"Wait! Is that the knife that I told you was illegal to own in America because of the way it is made?"

"Yes. He took it and never gave it back!" Ziva scowled, thinking of that knife. It had been one of her favourites and its loss still rankled her soul.

"So he confiscated it?" curious Abby asked.

"Yes!" Ziva was highly indignant and Abby wisely did not make another jab.

"I don't think he'll be giving it back then."

"See! He stole it!"

"Ziva! You could get in a lot of trouble for having that! Gibbs was doing you a favour for taking it off of your hands before someone else found it."

Ziva crossed her arms over her chest with a cross scowl. "I want it back. Where do you think he put it?"

"Why?" Abby questioned, her eyes squinted suspiciously.

"I'll go steal it back. It is MINE!"

"Not anymore!" Abby announced. "You'd better not try to steal it back from Gibbs!"

"Or what?" Ziva tilted her head to the side, rolling her eyes and fake yawning. "You will ... what is the word? ... tattle on me?"

"Yes!" Abby shot back, then felt riled when Ziva smirked at her. "No!" Ziva made her eyes go wide and innocent as Abby's frustration mounted. "Just stop it!"

"Stop what?" Ziva shrugged. "You Americans are funny. Thinking and speaking with no charge, but you really think that you can stop me?"

"It's free thought and free speech, and … augh!" Abby stamped her foot. "I don't want to shop with you anymore! You're not fun at all! And your idea of stealing your knife back will only get you in trouble - and that's me saying that! You've got to admit if I see flaws in a plan that it really has got to be a bad one!"

"You could not stop me if you tried," Ziva shot back.

"You are just … just crazy!" Abby looked around and gave a victorious shout when she saw the perfect way to get back at Ziva for making fun of her. Seizing Ziva's hand she dragged her over to a man in a Santa Claus suit, sitting on a bench next to a collection box for donations toward helping veterans in need. Abby figured that she would donate later but for now Santa could be her tool for revenge.

"What are you doing?" Ziva hissed. She did not try to resist - if she had, Abby would have likely been on the floor and unconscious.

"We're going to see Santa!" Abby announced. She pulled Ziva until the Israeli was standing in front of Santa.

"Ho ho ho! Merry Christmas!" Santa said in an obviously faked voice. "What can I do for you today?"

"Well, hello, Santa. I'm Abby and this is my friend, Ziva."

"I know," Santa said with a jolly laugh.

Abby smiled. "Oh, of course - you're Santa! Anyway, I was just reminding you."

"What are you doing?" Ziva hissed. "I want to go to the store that sells knives, not talk to some fiction character!"

"Just you wait!" Abby declared triumphantly, turning back to Santa. "Santa, Ziva is planning to be very naughty!"

"How?" Santa asked. He sounded very curious. Ziva rolled her eyes.

"My knife was stolen and I am going to get it back! There is nothing wrong with that!"

"It was confiscated by your boss!" Abby insisted with equal fervour.

"Then I will confiscate it back! I do not have to wear it, I just have to own it! I can keep it at my house," Ziva argued.

"You, not wear a knife that you own!" Abby scoffed. "Like that would be possible!"

"You do not know anything," Ziva snapped, turning on her heel. "This is stupid. I am not talking to you and Santa any longer."

"Yes, you will talk more about it," Santa said firmly. Ziva froze and slowly turned back. That voice did not sound like Santa. That voice sounded like ….

"Gibbs!" Abby squealed, giving him a hug. "You're Santa? You pull off the outfit better than I would have imagined!" Ziva paled a little and her eyes grew very big as she saw that Santa had pulled down his beard and was indeed her boss.

"Gibbs," she muttered. "Um, I was not ..."

"Don't listen to her! She WAS planning to steal her knife back!" Abby insisted.

"Quiet, Abby. People don't need to hear you two arguing over weapons," Gibbs reprimanded. Abby shot a glare at Ziva.

"But...!"

"That's enough, Elf Abby. You go on and do your shopping. Ziva, a word." Abby smirked over her shoulder at Ziva, then flounced off like a little girl who had just tattled on her sister and knew that there was going to be a spanking in the near future.

And Ziva was feeling as uncomfortable as a little girl who was about to receive that spanking. She huffed loudly, trying to act as if she was being inconvenienced by Gibbs. In reality she was trying to keep herself from running. She was not a runner when she was faced with conflict. She hazarded a timid glance up at Gibbs and gulped.

Perhaps running really wasn't such a bad idea. After all, being brave did not matter if you were not alive to be brave at a later date!

Yay! Chapter one is done - what did you think? Any ideas for future chapters? Please don't forget to let me know with a quick review. I try to respond to those who have reviewed, but if you don't have an account you can review as a guest and add your name at the end so that I can acknowledge you in the next chapter. :) Until the next chapter, have a good day! Blessings!