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The celluloid hero just finished killing his 49th victim -this time with a corkscrew and an orange- when Jack leaned into Gibbs' shoulder and whispered, "This is so stupid." He was about to agree when she added, "I love it."
His eyebrows rose and he replied with the same hushed tone, "Startin' to worry about you two."
The other half of the 'you two' was Eleanor Bishop who was sitting on his right, shovelling so much popcorn into her mouth that he practised the Heimlich Maneuver in his head, just in case. It was her birthday, and while the real celebration was delayed until the weekend when her friends could get together, Jack wasn't going to let the day go by without notice. Given an open offer to choose anything, Bishop chose an afternoon matinee. How he ended up sitting between them was a small mystery, though considering he could barely say 'No' to one, he suspected they had somehow worked in tandem to get him from behind his desk and into a theatre. He'd feigned annoyance, but truth be told, the familial comfort Jack and Ellie offered was a pleasure he'd never refuse, and the $75 for tickets and popcorn was a small price to pay to have his two favourite people beside him. He just didn't think it would involve a movie that was so gratuitous in its violence that even he winced more than once.
She let him in on a little secret by leaning closer. "It's not the action we're interested in." He arched an eyebrow that encouraged her to continue. "It's the one performing the action." Her chin lifted towards the screen just as Keanu Reeves came on, then she tilted her head in Bishop's direction. Gibbs glanced to his right and saw his surrogate daughter gaze dreamily at the 30 foot tall actor.
But when Jack didn't have the same reaction, he took a good guess at her favourite. "The blind guy?"
The smile tugged at her lips. "'Visually impaired'."
He hummed at her correction and her choice. Despite the kill count, the nobility of the assassin had caught his attention and his favour. "I killed a guy that way in Moscow once," he whispered, "except it was with an umbrella."
Bishop caught his sly remark, and without looking away from the screen said, "Teach me that."
Jack punched his arm. "Do not teach her that."
Gibbs chuckled, offered his popcorn to Bishop and enjoyed the recliner seat and the company.
…..
"Let me guess," he said as the lights came up. "He's not dead."
Jack stood and stretched. "Probably depends on how much it makes at the box office."
"I've seen it 3 times already, so it's got my money," Bishop said.
Gibbs frowned. "Then why'd ya want to see it again?"
"Because I knew you guys hadn't seen it. Wanted to see it with you." She tried to cover her sheepish confession by playacting some fight moves that he quickly countered. "Oooh! Look who still has the moves!"
"He definitely still has the moves." Jack's sly comment switched the blush from Bishop to Gibbs. With a knowing nudge, she asked, "So what now?"
Thankful to redirect the attention to Bishop, he said, "She's the birthday girl."
"Can we go shopping? Rothy's has a new sneaker I've been dying to try on."
"Oh! The white and blue high tops?"
Jack's enthusiasm sparked Ellie's. "Right?"
Gibbs cut the conversation short with a curt, "Nope," but softened his rejection by pulling out his wallet. "How much are these high tops?"
"$200."
His thumb paused between bills and his eyes lifted to see Bishop's apologetic grin. Without comment, he slid his credit card out and held it between two fingers. Her eyebrows rose at the unspoken offer.
"Really?" When his expression didn't change, she took the card and whispered, "Nice!"
Did she know that her smile meant the world to him?
"When you two are done, come back to the house. I'll let you order pizza."
Bishop's eyes lit up. "With pineapple?"
"With pineapple."
She curled her fingers into a victorious fist before boldly wrapping her arms around his waist and hugging him tightly. He returned the gesture, his arms enveloping her into his chest. He held the moment until it formed a memory, then kissed her temple and pulled away.
"Get goin' before I change my mind."
His bluff fooled no one. There was only one person there who was wrapped around the fingers of two women.
Bishop said the truth out loud. "You wouldn't change your mind," and turned towards Jack before he could find a suitable retort. "Ready to go shopping?"
"Honey, I was ready before the movie started." As Bishop all but bounced past her, she looked at Gibbs and signed three words. It caught him by surprise, and she mistook it for confusion. Stepping closer, she clarified, "I said 'You are'-"
"I know what you said."
Her hand brushed down his lapel and he wondered if she was aware of how much she touched him on a regular basis. From a tug on his jacket cuff to a nudge against his shoulder, she always found a reason to flatten his shirt buttons or straighten his collar. They were headed towards a time where her touch would be intentional and he would reciprocate without hesitation, but for now, he would gladly soak in the heat from her hand. His eyes went to her lips and he saw them twitch upward.
"Well, you are awesome."
As he'd done with Bishop, he stepped into her space and kissed her temple, but with a much different intent. "Buy yourself something nice."
His use of Bishop's word brought a warm chuckle against his jaw. She pressed her lips to his ear to whisper, "It's not that kind of store, Cowboy," before stepping back and winking.
She had already joined Bishop at the door before he was able to unroot himself from the spot.
…..
-end