Abby's body stiffened as she saw McGee wink at Ruby, the Edenvale forensic scientist. Ruby had just delivered the ground-breaking piece of evidence in the case they were working on involving a murdered lieutenant. Once the team had left Abby's lab Ruby began to smile.
"What are you so happy about?" Abby inquired bitterly. She was instantly sorry she'd asked.
"Isn't he something? Agent McGee, I mean. I think I really like him." Ruby replied as she packed up her equipment.
"You think?" Abby asked incredulously.
"Yeah. I-I think I'm going to ask him if he wants go get a drink sometime or something. I'd love to know more about him." She slung the strap of her bag over her shoulder. "Well, I'll see you around Ab-" she turned to find herself nearly nose-to-nose with the gothic scientist who towered over her.
"Don't. Hurt. Him." Abby said dangerously, backing Ruby into a corner. "Because if you do, I am one of the only people in the world who can murder you and leave no. Forensic. Evidence." Abby's teeth were gritted with enough force to bite through her desk.
"Um, I, uh, yeah, er…" Ruby stuttered. Abby moved out of her way and she left hastily.
Abby stood, her whole body shaking with her hands balled into fists as she heard two bodies collide in the hallway. Ruby's voice wafted in delivering the bad news.
"-you, maybe, wanted to go for a coffee sometime?" her voice came in like daggers hitting Abby's heart.
"Um, yeah, sure. I'll call you later, alright?" Tim replied happily. His voice was like an angel next to the demon.
Abby felt hot tears leaking out of her eyes. She internally cursed and wiped them away.
"Abbs, you alright?" Tim's voice was right behind her now.
She whirled around to see the worried look in his beautiful green eyes.
"I'm fine." She lied and walked around him to click around on her computer. "Why are you back here?"
"I forgot my cell phone… are you sure you're alright?" his hand closed around her arm gently but firmly. He turned to face him.
"Yeah, I'm fine. I just… I'm just upset that Ruby showed me up. I've done way more murders than her, I should have found that…"
"Oh, that's all?" Tim grinned and hugged her quickly. "Don't worry, you are the best, but even the best miss things sometimes."
Abby smiled as best she could and watched him leave.
******************************************************************************************
Abby sat at a small table at Buzzed, the café where she and McGee had gone on the date where she had made the biggest mistake of her life. She rejected him here.
Tonight, the stage was open to musical poetry and some plucky guy was singing a song Abby wasn't familiar with.
She looked down into the dark liquid of her caffeine-rich espresso, then to her tear stained cookie. She wiped her eyes and looked up as the door opened on the other side of the café. Tim and Ruby walked in and sat at a table off to the right of the stage.
Abby watched for several more songs as the two conversed animatedly. The song from a skinny blonde ended and Abby's hurt, guilt, and neurotic tendencies mixed with the caffeine of the espresso and a crazy idea popped into her head.
She stood and climbed onto the stage. She told the guitarist the name of the song she would sing and approached the microphone. She saw Ruby point at her then saw McGee turn to look up at her with a surprised look on his face.
The guitarist started with a melancholy introduction and Abby began to sing.
"Sometimes I'm a selfish fake,
You're always a true friend.
And I don't deserve you,
Cause I'm not there for you,
Please forgive me again."
A more forceful chord brought the chorus to life and Abby saw McGee turn his whole body to look at her, seemingly unaware of Ruby behind him, though she wasn't trying to make herself known.
"I wanna be there for you,
Someone you can come to,
Runs deeper than my bones.
I wanna be there for you-ou-ou-ou.
"Swirling shades of blue,
Slow dancing in your eyes,
The sun kisses the earth,
And I hush my urge to cry.
"Cry,
"I wanna be there for you,
Someone you can come to,
Runs deeper than my bones.
I wanna be there for you-ou-ou-ou."
Tim stood from his chair and, his eyes never leaving Abby's face as she sang, he approached the side of the stage.
"Cause I hear the whispered words
Within your masterpiece beautiful,
You speak the unspeakable truth,
I love you too!"
A smile stretched across Tim's face and he leaned forward on his knuckles on the side of the stage.
"I wanna be there for you,
Someone you can come to,
I wanna be there for you-ou-ou-ou,
And be someone you can come to,
The love runs deeper than my bones.
And I…
Wanna be there for you."
The music ceased and she jumped from the stage and ran out the door when Tim tried to stop her.
******************************************************************************************
Abby lay on her back fully clothed in her coffin in the dark. Her face felt taught and crusty from her tears.
A gentle, quiet knock came at her door. She stood to open it with small mechanical movements.
Tim stood on the other side of the door. He saw her tear-streaked face and pulled her into a tight hug.
"Where's Ruby?" Abby asked sarcastically.
"She left. She told me about your threat and how she understands it now."
Abby smiled. "I won't pretend I'm sorry she left."
"I'm glad you're being honest." He said.
"Why did you come here, Tim?" Abby pulled out of the hug and looked up at him.
"I wanted to know for sure. Was that song for me?"
"Of course, Timmy."
He smiled widely down at her. "I'm glad you did that."
"So am I." she admitted.
"Just one thing, though."
"What?!" she asked worriedly.
He leaned down to her ear and pulled her back into the hug. "My eyes are green, not blue."
She tapped him playfully on the back of the head. "Don't you think I know that?"
He laughed quietly and pulled his head back to look into her beautiful eyes. He leaned down and kissed her softly.
When he pulled away he leaned his forehead on hers and whispered: "I love you, Abbs."
"I love you too, Tim." She kissed him again.