Disclaimer: I don't own NCIS; Abigail Sciuto; Timothy McGee; or anything to do with the characters or the show.

Abby rolled over as her alarm clock blared; heavy metal music blasting through her fog of sleep and half-deafening her into wakefulness. She extended a slim, pale arm over the side of the coffin she called 'bed' – which to any observer would have resembled something from a badly-coordinated horror film – and slapped the offending article across the floor to stop the sound. Relaxing back into the silence; a thought suddenly floated into her mind, still fuzzy from sleep; as she pushed her black hair off her forehead and blinked a few times to get used to the light filtering in from behind her heavy black curtains. Saturday…14th…February 14th….Valentines Day!

This was enough to prompt Abby to leap out of bed, all tiredness forgotten; and race to the door of her apartment. She had been waiting for this day for weeks; and more so in the past week since Tim had let slip the fact that he had been planning a surprise for her today. His present from Abby was a replica his old Remington typewriter; identical to but more efficient than his old one (which, due to the fact that its untimely end was down to Abby hurling it across his living room; had inspired her to find a replica as a gift and a peace offering) – but for the words 'I love you; always and forever' engraved in the side. It had been precisely gift wrapped; packed into a reinforced cardboard box with a handmade card and a spray of Abby's own perfume and presented by the girl herself to the young man at the post office (with the threat of a painful death to which nobody would be able to apply forensic evidence should anything happen to it) two days previously. She wondered if at this moment, her Timmy would be opening his gift; picking up his box and wondering at the content as she was now lifting her own package from the doorstep.

Ripping away the cardboard outer; she saw shiny black wrapping paper and a purple ribbon. He knew her tastes so well; she thought. It made her smile to think of him picking it just for her. She carefully peeled away the tape sealing the package; parting the paper with trembling, snow-white hands - and was perplexed to see a slightly smaller; identical looking wrapped gift inside the other gift. She broke into a smile

'Oh; we're playing pass-the-parcel now, are we Timmy?' she whispered to herself. Then, she spotted a tiny scroll of paper wrapped with the same purple ribbon as her gift in between the two sheets of black paper. She lifted it out; and looked at it for a moment; deciding to open her present first and leave the scroll until last. Placing it tenderly to one side she started unwrapping the second layer of her gift. Again; there was a scroll of paper precisely rolled up and tied with ribbon; and an even smaller parcel. Intrigued and pleasantly impatient; Abby laid it to one side before moving onto the third layer of paper.

Ten minutes later; Abby Sciuto was sitting amid a mass of black paper and ribbon; with a tiny; palm sized parcel in her lap and ten unread scrolls of paper at her side. Eleven layers of paper! She shook her head in wonder. It must have taken him hours to wrap and write. This last tiny package had a miniscule gift card. She lifted it; her heart giving a flutter to see Tim's neat, tiny writing on the card. It read;

Abby;

Sorry if unwrapping so many parcels drove you insane; I just wanted to give you a surprise.

It's probably a good idea to read the scrolls first – in order – before you get to the present. Sorry to be picky but it'll all make sense if you do.

Happy Valentines Day.

Yours forever;

Tim.

'Oh, Timmy…' Abby sighed. She loved the way he wrote; and there was something special to her in seeing her name in Tim's written hand. She kissed the gift card; leaving a smudge of black lipstick on the paper; between turning her attention to the ten tiny scrolls. She unrolled the first; and couldn't suppress a smile at what she read. She quickly moved on to the second. Soon; she had read the ten scrolls and the unfolded notes lay among their discarded ribbons at Abby's knees. Placing them carefully; edge to edge, in order; she read them aloud.

FOR MY ANGEL IN BLACK –

You're daring; you're different; and truly divine

I can't help but smile when I think that you're mine.

You sleep in a coffin; you're wired on caffeine

You're there each waking moment; and again in my dreams

I love when you smile; and when I see your face

I can't help but melt into your embrace.

The moments I have to spend parted from you

Are worth it when you say you love me, too

You make every woman alive seem dull

Because you're so unconventionally beautiful

When you're away; the thing I most miss

Is to smell your perfume and to taste your sweet kiss

I would change the world; yes, I would; for you

With your love around me; I feel I could, too

I love when you laugh; but when I see you cry

I'd give my whole life so your tears could dry

There's never been anyone I'd rather spend

My life with; and love; until my days end

Now open your present; I hope you will see

How much you mean. I love you; Abby.

As she reread the ten couplets; tears of joy and love for Timothy McGee began to well up in Abby's eyes. To see his feelings; however many times he had told her before; written so beautifully and poignantly on paper reminded her how much; in their five years as colleagues and almost three as a couple; they had come through. How much they had gained and lost. How much they had grown together. And above all; how much she loved him.

Abby's hands were trembling as she unwrapped the tiny parcel; smoothing the ribbon and folding the paper; until nothing was left to unwrap. In her hands was a small; square; velvet box. Her heart beginning to beat fast in her throat; she opened it slowly. In the lid of the box was a tiny; framed photograph taped delicately into place. It was a picture of her and Tim together; arms round each other; both alight with happiness. And beneath it was an exquisite ring; a delicate silver with one dark red stone – it brought to mind a perfect drop of blood, shining in the moonlight – with a pristine diamond on either side. Inside the ring was a final scroll; with a red ribbon this time. Abby pulled it out gently; unrolled it; and read;

Abigail Sciuto; if you love me

I hope that you will now agree

To marry me; and all my life

I'll be your husband – you, my wife.

As Abby finished reading; tears of happiness and surprise coursing down her cheeks as she cupped the box in her hands; the doorbell rang behind her. Abby wiped her eyes on the back of her hand; and stood up to open it. Standing before her in the cool morning air; holding a bunch of black roses in his arms; was none other than Timothy McGee.

'Happy Valentines Day, my angel' he whispered; before Abby pulled him into a heart-melting kiss.

'I see you opened my present, Abs' he said softly; when they broke apart.

'Yes'

'And-'

'I just said yes!' Abby laughed; tears still shining on her dark eyelashes but a blissful smile on her face. 'I love you; Tim. And nothing in the world – not even a life supply of Caff-Pow - would make me happier than marrying you.'

'Oh; Abby' McGee replied; and the roses fell to the floor as he wrapped his arms around Abby. After a long; loving embrace; he found her hands and prised the black box from her fist. Removing the ring carefully; he placed it onto her ring finger.

'It's beautiful; Tim. Thank you so much – for everything. The poem…the ring…the – the proposal…coming here…the roses-' she hastily bent to rescue the bouquet from the floor and lifted them into her arms; her eyes shining 'everything you've ever done for me…for being you'

'Thank you for your wonderful gift' McGee kissed Abby on the forehead and put her arms around her again '-for accepting my proposal; for being the most wonderful girlfriend; friend and colleague any man could with for; for being so individual; for being you, too'

Abby tilted her head up and kissed her fiancé on the nose before leaning her head on his shoulder.

'You're going to be Abigail McGee' McGee said softly, stroking Abby's hair.

'I know' she replied, looking up at him. 'This is the most perfect Valentines Day ever'.