Family Reunion

Author: Lawral

Pairing: McGee/Ziva

Rating: FR15, may change

Summary: McGee asks Ziva to pose as his girlfriend for his family reunion.

Note: Written for Sondheimmcgeek as a Hangman Prize.

McGee hung up the phone and groaned as what he'd just said registered in his mind. His mother had called to tell him that the annual family reunion was going to be at his grandparents house this year and the date: Saturday, two days away. He'd assured her that he'd be there at noon. Then he'd said the stupidest thing ever. He was going to bring his girlfriend with him.

Why did he say he'd bring his girlfriend? He didn't even have a girlfriend. Now that he thought of it, he knew exactly why he'd said his girlfriend would accompany him. His cousin Stewart was always giving him grief for being a bachelor. He was always trying to prove to the family that McGee was "secretly in the closet." It was Stu's fault that McGee got so upset when people joked that he was gay.

He could have a girlfriend if he really wanted one. After all, he was a federal agent and a famous novelist. He just didn't have time for dating. His job kept him on call 24/7 and writing took up most of his free time. Some people would even say that he was to busy to have a pet but Jethro fit right into his home life.

Now he had to fabricate a girlfriend. Where was he going to find a girl who would agree to pose as his girlfriend? Abby would do it and probably send him into a weekend of embarrassment. Ziva might do it but she also would probably make the weekend torture. Sarah would know the truth, of course, but she could be bought off, so to speak.

"All right, whoever I see first will be the one I ask." McGee nodded to himself.

"Ask who what, Probie?" Tony asked, sitting down behind his desk.

McGee looked up to see Tony opening the sack from the barbeque place he loved. He pulled out a sandwich and threw it to McGee. He caught the sandwich and got to his feet to get one of the drinks Tony had brought with him. He returned to his desk and started to eat the lunch while opening another case file.

"Probie," Tony sang. "Who are you asking what?"

"It's personal, Tony." McGee said trying to throw off the question.

Tony laughed and rolled his chair to the side of McGee's desk. He tried desperately to attain McGee's attention. Why he needed to know the details of everyone's personal life could only be explained by his need to flaunt his own personal life.

"We are partners, McGee. If there is something going on that could keep you from…doing the best a McGeek can do, I should know about it." Tony said.

McGee rolled his eyes. Tony always tried to use the partner excuse to get the information no one was willing to give him. The worst part, it usually worked too.

"I have to go to my family reunion, Tony. I thought I'd call Sarah and offer her a ride." He paused, schooling his features to not expose the lie. "Happy now?"

Tony grimaced and pushed back to his own desk. If there was one thing Tony hated, it was not getting any juicy gossip. He hated it even more when the actual information contained someone's family. McGee put his half-eaten sandwich down on his desk and got to his feet. He might as well get it over with. Since he and Abby or Ziva would have to come up with some kind of story for his nosey cousin.

He made his way to the rear elevator and pressed the down button. Perhaps if he asked Abby then the cover story wouldn't be so hard. They had dated and the relationship between them would be real. There wouldn't be much left to come up with. They'd met at work, been dating for a few years, on-and-off of course and were very comfortable being with each other.

The doors opened and he looked up from his feet to enter the small room but stopped short. Ziva was looking up at him. She was waiting for him to enter the elevator or move out of the way, she could smell lunch and was looking forward to eating whatever Tony had brought back.

"On or out, McGee?" Ziva said, crossing her arms over her chest.

McGee sighed, he had said the first one he ran into was the one he was going to ask. He pulled his hands out of his pockets and started to enter the elevator. "In. In or out, Ziva, and I was wondering if I could ask you a question? Just between us."

Ziva stepped back into the elevator and hit the down button. After the doors closed, she hit the off switch, covering them in soft light as the main lights went off along with most of the electricity to the car.

McGee fidgeted and looked all over the car to keep from making eye contact with her. He didn't have anyone to blame but himself. He had been the one to say he was bringing his girlfriend with him over the weekend. It wasn't that Ziva wasn't attractive, she was. He like her, trusted her even, but this was way beyond a casual favor.

"I need a date." He said quickly.

"Excuse me?" Ziva said, raising an eyebrow and turning to face him.

McGee shifted his position. She was disobeying unwritten elevator etiquette by standing facing him instead of the doors. He stumbled over the words of his explanation. "I have a family reunion this weekend and-and-and I sort of told my mother that I was bringing a, uh, well a, um." He looked up to her slightly and creased his forehead in embarrassment. "My girlfriend."

Ziva laughed and leaned against the wall behind her as she continued to look at McGee with a sly smirk fixed on her face.

McGee took a deep breath and then closed his eyes as he asked the question. "Ziva, will you be my girlfriend?"