"I'm sorry Tim" Came from the mouth of McGee's beautiful date. "This isn't working. You're really great but just not for me."
McGee sighed 'always the same excuses' he thought.
"That's okay, Anna." He smiled weakly; he really liked this girl.
"It's not you." Came those cliché lines "it's me."
McGee had heard that so many times before, ever since his book was published it had been break up after break-up, beautiful girl after beautiful girl. He had heard 'It's not you, it's me' so many times in the past few months.
He smiled weakly and got up from the table, throwing down a hundred dollar bill.
"I'm sorry." Anna called again, McGee only acknowledging her with a wave.
"Good morning McGee." Said Ziva in her usual happy greeting; she was a morning person.
"Hi, Ziva." McGee replied sluggishly, his eyes drooping from the little sleep he'd had the previous night.
Ziva sent a confused look to Tony who returned it with an 'I don't know' look.
"Good morning, probie!" Greeted Tony in an overbearing tone. "A bit tired this morning?"
"I didn't get any sleep last night." He explained, not adding the reason why.
"Would you like me to bring back nap time?" Asked Gibbs, entering the bullpen, taking the three by surprise.
"That'd be nice, boss!" said Tony loudly, like a soldier standing to attention.
Gibbs shot him a glance and turned to McGee
"Abby wants you down in her lab ASAP. She's got to do some computer do-dah AI stuff." He said, using the language that only made sense to his team.
McGee nodded and headed off to visit Abby.
"Good morning McGee!" Abby chirped in her caffeinated state.
"Hey Abs" he returned, less cheerful.
Abby spun around and faced him. "What's wrong?"
"What?" he began, stuttering as he did when he became nervous "nothing, I'm fine. I'm just tired." He lied
"Did you break up with the cheerleader?" She asked, a hint of jealousy in her voice.
McGee looked down, avoiding eye contact.
"Oh, I'm sorry, McGee." She said with a tone of sincerity. Inside, however, she really couldn't care less. She liked those days where her and Tim used to have fun with the occasional flirt. But every since he met that blonde Barbie doll, everything changed.
"She said I wasn't what she expected?" he began "How am I not what she expected? I'm a writer. She should have expected boring."
"No, McGee!" Abby interrupted his depressing streak, "You are not boring! You are not only a writer, you are an NCIS special agent!"
McGee smiled, the first time that day. "You think?"
"Yes!" Abby said in a 'duh' kind of way. "I wouldn't say it if it wasn't the truth."
He smiled again, this time revealing his white teeth "Thank you" he said, holding his arms out to her.
"Any time" She smiled, squeezing him; hugs just so happened to be her specialty.
For the next few hours, the two worked on the 'Richards' case, discussing their relationships over the past few months, they hadn't talked as much since the release of McGee's well, Thom's new book and they needed to make for the time lost.
"I'm sick of this girl after girl thing." McGee said, back onto the topic of Anna.
"Well don't go out with as many. Hold yourself back." Replied Abby without looking up. "Maybe you could create a list of things to do before you get a new girlfriend?" she suggested.
McGee stopped typing and turned to face Abby. "Alright." He said, opening a new file on the computer. "What should I put on it?"
Abby thought for a moment, "Well, you could get a gothic tattoo." She joked
He thought for a second. "Okay" he said, typing up his list. "I maybe I could also..."
"Get back to work?" interrupted Gibbs. McGee exited his new document and turned to face his boss.
"Tell me you've got something, Abs," He stated, his eyes still boring into McGee's head.
"Ah, that I have my silver haired fox." She said, breaking off Gibbs' stare. "See these lines in the nail that we took off Petty Officer Richards? Well if she had of O.D'd on PCP like we originally hypothesized then her nails would be filled with all sorts of drugs, but they are clean. So either she was very careful in killing herself, or—"
"Someone killed her." Gibbs interrupted. "That's good work Abs." He said, exiting the room.
Abby looked at McGee and smiled. He exhaled and got back to his computer.
Friday Night
"Night Abby" McGee smiled happily; it had been a long week and finally they had finished the case
"Where are you going, McGee?" She stopped him
He turned around and gave her a confused look. She smiled and held up a few tattoo templates.
"You have these to pick from." She smiled in an 'I'm not joking' way.
McGee looked at her nervously and walked closer to gain a better view of the templates.
"You have them to choose from."
"Abby, are you kidding? Where am I going to get any of these without it being noticeable?" the shocked look remained on his face.
He scrolled past cobwebs, headless clowns and spiders until reaching his decision. "I'll have that one." He pointed to the smallest tattoo on the sheet, a picture of a dark angel with tattoos and a studded collar with platform shoes. "It reminds me of you." He smiled
Abby smiled and hugged him. "Well, lets go get this done."
McGee and Abby came out of the tattoo parlor, McGee rubbing his arm.
Abby laughed again "Well I'll see you on Monday, have a good weekend Tim." She smiled, her arms outstretched.
"Where do you think you're going?" He asked, still rubbing his arm.
"What are you talking about?"
"Number 2." McGee said, pulling his 10-point list from his pocket. "Clean out entire apartment with Abby, signed by Abby." He smiled pointing to Abby's signature.
She rolled her eyes. "Tomorrow."
"Sure" smiled McGee "Tomorrow."