Inspired by but occurring time wise before the season 14 episode Shell Game.
McGee is seated at his desk with his head in his hands and is murmuring to himself. "I'm dead. I'm dead. I'm so, so dead." In his preoccupation he hasn't heard the elevator ding or noticed his colleague walking towards him before she stops by her desk.
"Tim, what are you doing here?" she queries observing the upturned desk drawers and what are clearly the contents from them spread around the bullpen.
"Ellie" He glances at his computer. "It's nearly midnight. What are you doing back here?"
"Had an idea on that cold case I'm reviewing so I came back to check some database and..."
"It couldn't wait 'til morning?" His tone and arched eyebrow indicating he suspects there's more to this than she's saying.
"Well..."
Suddenly despite his exhaustion he realises what she's attempting to hide.
"Still getting used to..." he pauses wondering how to put this question as gently as possible.
"Sleeping on my own." She smiles a little sadly as McGee blushes furiously.
"I was going to say your new place. Apartment noises, neighborhood noises, the bed... "
"I'm fine Tim. Now answer my question."
"Just paperwork."
"Tim!"
"You have to promise not to tell her. I mean I know she's not Ziva but..."
"Ziva? Ex agent David is in Israel right?"
"Yeah. It's just that I was remembering how Abby always says she knows how to kill and leave no forensic traces and that started me thinking about how Ziva used to claim she knew eighteen different ways to kill using a paperclip...not that she ever backed that up by showing us exactly how..."
"Abby? Huh. What is it you've lost? Your creds?"
"No."
"Your badge?"
"No."
"Wallet?"
"No."
"Not...not your gun?"
"No."
"It's getting late. Will you please just tell me what's going on."
"What she said McAvoider." Tony walks around the divider and stands by Tim's desk.
"Promise you won't tell Abby what I telll you."
Bishop and DiNozzo exchange glances.
"She scares me more than you do." McGee glares at him. DiNozzo grins and crosses his fingers behind his back. "Oh, okay. I promise."
"Eleanor?"
"Sure."
"I...I...I lost...the...socks."
Tony sniggers and Ellie continues to look confused.
"You're a dead probie walking man. She'll never forgive you if you don't find them."
Tim nods despondently. "I know. I know."
"So you're here at nearly midnight, upending your carefully organised drawers, rearranging things on your desk and rifling through filing cabinets..." she gestures to the open cabinet drawers "to find some socks? I mean I know that no matter how hard you look there's never the correct amount of socks in the clean washing to pair them up. There's always a stray in the washing pile or behind the couch or..."
"Ellie!" her colleagues interrupt exasperatedly.
"This is all because you've lost a pair of socks?"
"Yep and I can't find them anywhere. I checked in the locker room and at home too even though I rarely take them there. I'm so, so dead."
"You can't just buy another pair?"
"No, he can not. These are special socks, special socks for a special agent. Abby knitted them for McGeek back when he was just the new probie on the team; a mere baby agent, a fraction of the agent you see before you today..."
"You're not helping."
"Sorry." DiNozzo leans in and pats Tim on the shoulder then explains further. "He always wears them when he knows he'll be working in the lab. I mean they were among the first things Abby knitted when she started the hobby so they are a bit..."
"Colorful?" Ellie suggests with an I-know-what-Abby's-like smile.
"Actually only two colors and striped but they are the itchiest socks I've ever worn. Jimmy says his must be worse but I don't agree."
"Why don't you just tell her that?"
"Didn't want to hurt her feelings."
"That makes sense. Maybe if you tell her you lost them she'll knit you a new pair."
"After threatening to kill me for being so careless as to lose them in the first place." McGee gives a weak grin.
"Good luck with that." DiNozzo walks around the outside of the bullpen to where Ellie is standing. "Come on Bish. Let's leave him to his fate. See you in the morning Tim if you're still with us and not a new case."
"Very funny Tony." As his friends head to the elevator he begins to clean up.
A few minutes later a voice whispers.
"Need some help with that?"
"ABBY! What...I mean..why..."
"Thought I'd slip these on your desk before leaving." She holds up a striped pair of socks.
"Why do you have my socks?"
"I know you don't so from time to time I take them home and wash them."
"How do you know I don't?"
"I'm Abby Sciuto and I know things." She grins. "Sorry I didn't get them back before you noticed they were gone. Want some help clearing up?"
"Sure." As they continue putting items away he thinks of another question.
"Abby, what would you have done if I had really lost them? I mean you put so much effort and love into making them I..."
"Be very, very glad I don't have to answer that question." She gives a wicked smile and turns away not noticing the slightly terrified look on McGee's face.
A short time later as they leave the bullpen Tim makes a silent vow to never, ever lose anything Abby gives him.