Authors note: Hey ya'll. I needed a break from Moments Like These so I wrote this. I hope you enjoy it. It's about McGee and Abby's relationship as it progresses, starts at Sub Rosa and I think the last spoiler episode is See No Evil.

Disclaimer: i don't own NCIS.

McGee watched Abby as she tapped her fingers impatiently on her table. One of her machines beeped at her.

"I've got a ding McGee!" she exclaimed happily.

McGee clapped, grinning. He remembered the first time they met, right here in this very lab.

McGee was contemplating the meaning behind the naming of the nervous system, as he could feel the nervousness through every bone in his body. He was on his way down to the lab of Abigail Sciuto to go on a lunch date with her. It was unlike him to go on a date with someone without having met tehm beforehand, but Abby felt different. The elevator pinged and McGee stepped off. Poking his head through a door her called out her name;

"Abby?"

McGee could hear loud music pumping through the lab, a sound he recognised from their telephone calls, so he took a step inside. Abby was standing in the middle of the room, swaying in time with the music

"Abby!" McGee called a bit louder.

Abby spun around.

Oh God, though McGee, she's beautiful.

He looked at her pale skin, which seemed even paler in contrast to the drak make-up on her face. She was wearing a short black dress, it was simple, and around her middle, just below her breasts was a belt sort of thing with multiple skulls on it. She also had on platform booth, which left a small amount of her slender legs between the top of her boots and bottom of her dress.

"Abby?" McGee's voice croaked a little.

"Yep," Abby smiled happily at him. "You Timothy McGee?"

McGee nodded.

"Great," she grinned and linked her arm through his. "Where are we going?"

"Well," McGee cleared in throat and started again, more strongly. "There's a nice little sandwich bar not far from here. I like to eat lunch there when I'm in the area. I thought we might try there."

"Okay Timmy," Abby pulled McGee into the lift. "Sounds good to me."

The whole ride there Abby rambled about her forensics and ballistics. McGee parked his car at the sandwich place and they both got out the car.

"Sandwiches 'r' us," Abby read the sign out the front and chuckled. "Original."

McGee smiled and lead the way indise. They placed their orders at the front counter and sat at a table by the window.

"So," Abby said slowly. "Tell me about yourself Timothy McGee."

"Well," McGee began. "I went to MIT and I have a sister, Sarah. That's probably the most interesting things about me.

Abby frowned breifly but the smiled. "Okay Tim, I'm originally from New Orleans. I have a little brother and both my parents are deaf."

"Really?" McGee asked. "So you can..." he waved his hands around in the air.

Abby laughed, "Yeah, I know sign language, but I wouldn't say that if I were you."

McGee joined in with her laughter as their food arrives. Abby had a tofu wrap and McGee had a chicken roll.

"How did you get into NCIS?" McGee asked.

Abby shrugged, "You know, Kate asked me that exact same question not all that long ago."

McGee swallowed a mouthful of chicken and asked again, "What did you tell her?"

"Filled in an application," she tugged off some of the wrap with her teeth. "What about you?"

"same," McGee replied, not wanting to get into the whole story.

We talked about the case we had just finished and then I asked her about her tattoos.

"Why'd I get them?" Abby repeated my question. "I dunno, I felt like it I guess." she held up her middle finger with a smiley face on it. "I got this one so I could ask people if they liked my tat and I could give them the finger."

McGee laughed, "How old were you when you got your first one?"

Abby smiled, "I was about fifteen or sixteen. You got any tats?"

McGee nodded slowly, "Yeah, I do actually."

"Really," Abby seemed impressed. "What and where?"

"Umm," McGee blushed. "It's 'Mom' and it's on my, erm."

"It's on your arse isn't it?" Abby grinned coyly at him.

McGee nodded.

Abby's grin widened, "I mat have to inspect that later."

McGee smiled weakly at her and his blush reddened his cheeks further.

Abby let out a laugh and stood up, "Come on, I'd better get back to work."

McGee drove her back to NCIS and pulled up. Abby got out of the car and came around to McGee's door and stuck her head through the window.

"Will I see you soon?" she asked.

McGee nodded, "I hope so."

"Me too," Abby smiled. "You have my number?"

"Yes," McGee nodded again.

"Good," Abby leaned down and pecked him on the cheek, "See you around."

And then she disappeared inside. McGee sunk low into his seat.

"Wow," he breathed softly.

"Okay Gibbs," Abby sighed into the phone. "Yeah, fine."

She hung up. McGee looked over with concern, Abby never sounded disappointed after talking to Gibbs.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

Abby shrugged, "He said that there's no Caf-Pow! left and I'm not going to have one until tomorrow."

McGee grinned, it would be something like that. McGee held out his hand, Caf-Pow! forward.

Abby saw the red cup and grinned at him, "McGee!"

She took the cup and wrapped him into a hug, swiftly kissing him on the cheek. As they returned to work, Abby sucking up her drink, she remembered their first kiss.

Abby rushed outside where she saw McGee's car waiting for her. She pulled open the door and jumped inside. Shaking off her raincoat she apologised for wetting his car.

"It's okay," McGee replied. "I was going to fix up the interior tomorrow anyway."

Abby smiled at him, "So where's our destination today, Tim?"

"Do you like Chinese?" McGee asked.

Abby made her smile as big as she could, "Only a lot."

"Great," McGee said. "Let's go to a Chinese Restaurant."

"Okay."

There dinner was generally uneventful, except for Abby accidentally knocking a glass of cold water on a waitress who refused to look at her, Abby assumed because of her dog collars. McGee had apologised and pulled Abby out of the restaurant.

"McGee," she whined. "Come on, she deserved it.

"Uh uh," McGee replied. "Let's go for a walk."

"It's still raining," Abby told him.

"Oh yeah," McGee looked up at the sky. "Forgot that."

"Doesn't matter," Abby tugged on his arm, pulling him out into the street. "It'll be fun."

They strolled arm in arm down the street.

"Abby?" McGee said.

"Yah?" Abby replied.

"Do you believe in forever?"

Abby looked at him, chewing her lip, "I believe in lots of things Tim, forever is not one of them. It seems impractical."

McGee nodded. Suddenly something hard hit his shoulder.

"Ow!"

"What?" Abby asked.

Then something hit her, "Ouch!"

"What is that?" asked McGee.

"Hail!" Abby exclaimed happily.

"That's bad Abby, we're outside," McGee held tight to her hand and bolted for his car.

Abby was suprisingly fast for someone in platform boots, managing to overtake McGee and be the first to the car. McGee unlocked it and they both jumped in. McGee started the engine and drove Abby back to her apartment.

"You want to come in for a minute and dry off McGee?" Abby asked him.

McGee shivered, nodding. The two of them walked into her apartment. Abby fetched him a towel and one of Tony's jackets, which had somehow ended up at her house.

"Thanks," McGee peeled off his jacket and replaced it with Tony's. "Who's jacket is this?"

"Tony's," Abby replied. "I don't know how it got here, before you ask."

McGee rubbed the towel over his head to dry his hair. Abby laughed at him when he pulled it off and his hair was sticking up all over the place.

"Thanks Abby," McGee handed back the towel. "I should go now."

Abby nodded and stood up, "I'll walk you to the front door."

They walked hand in hand to the front door of Abby's apartment building. McGee leaned over and awkwardly wrapped Abby into a hug, Abby accepted it and hugged him back tighter. McGee leaned backwards to step out of the hug and into his car and Abby's lips connected with his, she briefly let his top lip go between hers and stepped back inside. McGee sucked on his top lip, trying to taste her again. He turned to his car, face warm, and started the engine.

Abby huffed at the computer screen, "Come on, baby, don't do this to me."

McGee leaned over and looked at the screen, "What's she doing?"

"He," Abby corrected. "This computer is Xavier. And he wants to update his viral detectors."

"What's wrong with that?" McGee asked.

"I'm busy," Abby growled at her screen. "I'm trying to trace that call for Gibbs and he wont be willing to help me for at least another hour."

"Well," McGee said, moving to a different computer. "We could use Bertha instead."

Abby clipped her hand to her head, two fingers spread apart, "We can't use Bertha. I promised that I'd let Xavier have a turn."

McGee nodded, "Okay, we'll just wait. I'm sure we can think of something to do in the time between now and then."

Abby grinned, "That's not the first time I've heard those words leave your lips McGee."

Abby looked right, left, right, left, right, left, right, left. Stopped. Stepped forward and belted out the loudest scream McGee had ever heard. Kate, Tony, Gibbs and himself ran forward.

"What's wrong Abs?" Gibbs asked with concern.

Abby pointed at Tony, "Him."

Gibbs glared at Tony, "What did you do to her?"

"Nothing," Tony replied honestly. "Not that I remember anyway. What did I do Abby?"

"You took Bert," she accused him.

"Bert?" Tony repeated. "As in your hippo Bert?"

"Yes," Abby nodded, still glaring at him.

"Abby," Tony said. "I did not take Bert."

"Why do you think DiNozzo took him, Abby?" asked Kate.

"Well," Abby began. "Mainly because he's been eyeing Bert off and saying how much he wants one."

"Tony wants a lot of things Abs," Gibbs said. "But he doesn't steal them. He normally takes them out to dinner first."

Tony nodded in agreement, then, actually realising what his boss had said, said, "hey!"

Kate and Abby laughed.

McGee spoke out, "Abby, I thought I saw Bert under your desk yesterday."

"Really?" Abby spun on her heel and headed for her lab.

The others followed her. By the time they arrived Abby was standing next to her desk, hugging the farting hippo.

"Thanks McGee," she grinned hopping across the room and kissing him on the cheek.

McGee blushed as Tony snatched the hippo out of Abby's arms.

"See Abby," he said. "I told you I didn't take him. Now what do you say?"

Abby raised her eyebrows, taking her hippo back, "Apologising is a sign of weakness, Tony."

Tony was about to respond when Gibbs interrupted;

"Alright! Everyone back to work, McGee, you stay down here and help Abby. Just leave when your done, I'll call if I need anything."

Abby and McGee nodded as the rest of their group made their way back up to the squadroom.

McGee turned to Abby, "Okay, Abby. What do we need to do down here."

"Nothing," Abby pulled a confused expression and shrugged. "Guess the Bossman didn't know that I was done."

"So, what are we going to do instead?" McGee asked.

Abby grabbed her coat and headed for the elevator, "He said we could leave!"

McGee ran after her and made it into the elevator as the door closed.

"Glad to see you have some ninja skill Timmy," Abby giggled.

They walked out of the building and to their respective cars. Abby stood next to hers, leaning over the top to talk to McGee.

"So, when do you have the dinner reservations for?"

"Nine," McGee replied. "I didn't expect to be leaving so early and this restaurant is really good, plus it's open to midnight which is good because we normally finish late-"

"McGee," Abby laughed. "Normally I'm the rambler. What can we do until nine?"

"I'm sure we can think of something to do between now and then," McGee said.

Abby smiled, "Oh, deal. Meet you at my place?"

McGee nodded and climbed into his car. They arrived at Abby's apartment building at the same time and raced each other to Abby's apartment. Abby beat McGee, once again proving the laws of platform boots wrong. She unlocked the door and dropped her coat onto the sofa.

"So..." Abby began. "You wanna do something hinky or kinky?"

McGee suddenly realised what Abby wanted and blushed deeply, "Umm, hinky?"

Abby narrowed her eyes at him, "What kind of hinky, McGee?"

McGee was about to reply when Abby stepped forward and kissed him. He responded, quickly moving his lips against hers. Abby stepped closer to him, pressing her body against his. McGee stepped back, away from her.

She tilted her head, looking at him, "You okay McGee?"

McGee nodded, "I'm fine, I just didn't expect this was how I would be spending the rest of my day."

Abby grinned at him, "Oh, we're just getting started, things are about to start heating up around here."

She took his hand and pulled him into her bedroom, slamming the door shut behind them.

"Abby!" McGee exclaimed. "What are you doing!"

"I am trying," she replied dryly. "To get some work done. But that's a bit hard, McGee, when you are in my way."

"Too bad Abby," McGee frowned at her. "Gibbs needs me to track the origins of the phone call that tipped us off."

Abby crossed her arms, "My lab, my rules."

McGee sighed, moving out of her way, remembering a fight from long ago.

Abby swung back on her chair. McGee had taken her to Buzzed, which was a coffee house in Old Town. Sunday nights were poetry nights. Abby was sipping her double espresso when McGee stood up and left the table. Abby put her drink back down and was about to ask him where he was going when he climbed up onto the small stage that had been set up at the front of the coffee house.

"I'd like to read a poem for a very special person." he announced.

Oh God Abby thought.

McGee started snapping his fingers;

"My dark angel is someone

Who I can count on to be true

I never thought I'd meet a person

Never a person like you.

You are not like the others,

You are actually kind

You like me, I like you,

You are the Queen of my mind.

You might be a Goth

but you're always so happy

I'll never forget you,

Because you are my Abby."

McGee took a little bow as the small audience clapped him.

"it doesn't exactly rhyme," McGee apologised. "But every word is true."

McGee returned to his seat, where Abby had somehow managed to drink three more double espressos in his absence. She didn't say anything.

McGee leaned forward and took her hand, "I really like you, Abby."

Abby almost choked on her drink, "Thanks." she said awkwardly.

The rest of the evening was silent. After another ten minutes Abby interrupted the silence

"We should go, work tomorrow."

McGee nodded and stood up. They paid for their coffee and walked out the door. Abby was bout to get in her car when McGee said;

"Where is our relationship going?"

Abby replied, as kindly as she could, "Why does it have to go anywhere? Why can't we just enjoy what's happening now?"

McGee's face visibly dropped, "Fine, whatever."

Abby climbed into her car and drove away. Later she would talk to Kate about it.

McGee entered Abby's lab, "Abby?"

Abby looked at him briefly, "McGee."

"Gibbs said you needed my help," McGee told her.

"I don't need your help," Abby corrected. "He just asked you to help me."

"Okay," McGee agreed. "What am I helping you do."

"Hack into the ISP servers." Abby said. "We have to get into an e-mail account and download the activity."

McGee nodded, "What are we looking for?"

"Just anything that's hinky."

"Why do you use that word?" McGee asked, stopping to look at her.

"What word?" Abby asked.

"Hinky," McGee clarrified. "It's a made up word."

Abby was confused, "All words are made up words."

"Well, I think it's stupid," McGee retorted.

"Well, maybe I shouldn't say anything then, Abby said.

"Fine," McGee sat down in front of the laptop.

"Fine," Abby agreed.

"Good," McGee didn't want Abby to end the argument.

"Great," Abby sat at her desk.

Damn.

After they had worked out what they had been looking for, the hinky thing, they spoke to each other kindly again.

"I'm sorry," Abby and McGee both began.

They both stopped, Abby told McGee he could go first.

"I'm sorry that I got upset with you," he apologised.

"It's okay," Abby replied, smiling. "I understand, you're insecure."

"You think I'm insecure?" McGee asked, with concern for his own well-being.

"Well," Abby said. "In a cute way."

"I'm not-" McGee began. "I'm not insecure. What makes you think I'm insecure?"

"Oh, that whole,, 'Where is our relationship going' thing" Abby replied cooly.

"So it's insecure to want to know the status of your relationship when one of the people in that relationship can't accurately communicate her feelings?" McGee asked.

"Yes!" Abby exclaimed, he had it spot on.

"Okay, I guess my poem didn't mean anything then?" McGee felt disappointed.

"Oh, no," Abby said quickly. "I loved your poem."

"You did?" McGee was genuinely astounded.

"Of course I did," Abby couldn't believe he thought she hadn't liked it.

"Which part did you like?" McGee asked, to make sure she had even remembered it.

"All of it," so much for that idea.

"Even the finger snaps?"

Abby smiled at him, "Especially the finger snaps."

McGee grinned at her, "What do you say we finish hacking this computer?"

"Deal."

Less then five minutes later Abby was pestering McGee again, but in a friendly way.

"No, no, you have to change the bit to on."

"I know, I know," McGee clapped down on the keyboard.

"Embeded the bios then flash the bios," Abby said

"We can havve it runaway into memory and link everywhere on the system from there," McGee thought aloud. "Even if they kill it in the memory."

"They'll have to take it one step further and kill it in the bios," Abby was fond of the glory of the bios.

"Yes," McGee grinned. "We are kicking ass."

"Yes, we are," she said, walking behind him, hands on hips. "Can't you type any faster."

"Not unless I grow another arm," McGee replied typing as fast as he could.

"Here, let me."

Abby leaned down and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, typing on the keyboard with him. McGee looked up and they smiled at each other. This method should be remembered and used again, it worked.

Abby fired the gun and followed it around to pick up the bullet.

"What do you know about the gun?" McGee asked.

Abby held up the object, it was burnt from some sort of fire or explosion, "Several things, in fact I know so much I might ask it out later."

McGee raised his eyebrows, "Seriously, Abs?"

Abby grinned at him, "Well, it's an AK-47. It's been recently fired and fried. I think it must have been caught up in some gas explosion. Where did you say you found it?"

"It's was at the front gate," McGee replied. "Is their any DNA on it?"

Abby nodded, "There was some caught on the trigger and there is brain matter on the barrel. I have a hankering that the DNA on the trigger is from or murderer and the brain matter is from our victim."

Abby scanned the bullet that she had just shot and compared it to one that had been found with the gun. She frowned and clicked for a closer image.

"What's wrong, Abs?"McGee asked her.

"They don't match," Abby pulled on a pair of latex gloves and picked up the first bullet to examine it. "Urgh!"

"What?" McGee asked.

"They're not a match McGee," she told him. "The first bullet it an 8mm, AK-47's use 9mm. But this isn't right. The first bullet was definitely shot from this gun."

"How can that be?" McGee asked.

"Full of questions today aren't we McGee?" Abby smiled.

"Well, I gotta be since I'm part of this team."

Abby laughed, "McGee, you've been part of team Gibbs for like, three years now."

McGee swung his bag over his shoulder, clicked the safety on his gun on and holstered it.

He turned to Gibbs. "Your network is up and operational now. So I'll be heading back to Norfolk." He paused but there was no response except Tony clipping his gun. "I'll take that as a thank you."

Gibbs looked at McGee as he approached, "McGee, where are you going?"

"Uh... Norfolk," McGee repeated.

"Well, I've got some good news and some bad news for you." Gibbs began. "You've just been promoted to a full time field agent."

McGee grinned happily, "Really?" That's incredible! What's –"

"You belong to me now," Gibbs interrupted.

Kate grinned, approaching him, "Congratulations."

Tony grinned as he came over, "Yeah. What she said."

McGee returned their grins, "So I'm one of you guys now, right? No more... no more getting coffee. No more hazing?"

Kate and Tony smiled at him, "Sure."

"Right. Uh..." McGee began. "Well, I just want to say uh...that I never took it personal and I really look forward to–"

Kate and Tony slapped McGee around the back of the head and smiled at each other.

"You know," Tony said. "I could really get used to that."

McGee ran down stairs, relishing the cool of the air-con, to Abby's lab. She was collecting her lunchbox and saying good-bye to her babies as he he arrived. She looked up when she heard him come.

"Tim?" she stated. "I thought you'd already gone back to Norfolk?"

"I'm not going back to Norfolk, Abs!" McGee exclaimed happily.

"Oh, McGee," Abby walked up to him and struggled to hug him around her lunch box and coat. "I'm so sorry, they fired you for all the time you've been spending here didn't they?"

"No, Abby," McGee pushed her away. "I've been promoted. I'm working here on Gibbs team now."

"Really," Abby asked.

McGee nodded and Abby wrapped him back up into a hug.

"That's great news Timmy," she said sadly.

McGee pulled back and looked at her, "Abby? What's wrong? Why don't you sound happy?"

Abby looked him in the eyes, "Gibbs has this rule, number twelve; Never date a co-worker."

"Oh," McGee's face dropped. "Well, that doesn't matter. Gibbs already knows we are in a relationship."

Abby shook her head, "I'm sorry Timmy. I can't just break a rule like that. I'd feel like I was betraying Gibbs."

McGee understood how Gibbs was like a father figure to Abby, but he thought they had something special, "But Abby... Don't you love me?"

Abby looked sadly up at him, "I do, Timmy. That's the problem."

Then she turned her back and walked away from him.

McGee watched as Abby bent down to fix up the laces on one of her boots. Or more specifically he watched her butt. She straightened and turned to look at him.

"Timmy," she grinned happily. "You were staring at my bum, weren't you?"

"No," McGee replied quickly.

Abby just looked at him.

"Okay, so I was," McGee admitted. "Can I help it? It is a particularly nice bum."

Abby's mouth turned in the corners, "I think I'll take that as a compliment."

McGee grinned, "You should, it was one."

Abby laughed.

McGee suddenly interrupted her laughter with a question that had been on his mind for years, "Do you ever wish we were still together?"

Abby slammed her jaw shut and looked at him, "What?"

"Do you ever wish we hadn't broken up?" he asked.

Abby looked slightly over his shoulder, not making eye contact, "Everyday McGee. I wonder what our life would be like. If we'd be married or have kids. I wonder if we'd be happy. If we'd be like we are now. If we would have stayed with each other. Everyday Tim."

McGee smiled at her, "Me too."

Abby looked him in the eyes.

"Maybe we should get back together?" McGee suggested hopefully.

Abby put his face in her hands and spoke gently, "McGee, all the what-ifs amount to nothing, than what we have here. But maybe, some day, things will be better."

She leaned forward and her lips pressed against his. For the few seconds they were together they remembered what it had been like and wondered what could have been. The only thing that they knew for certain was that this was perfect.

There we go. Okay, so I am fairly sure that they didn't break up in See No Evil, but that just seemed like the only way I had the heart to break up such a great couple. If anyone's interested I should be updating MLT sometime in the next week. So leave a fantabulous review for me please and I'll see you when I see you. Figuratively speaking.