Small Steps

Gibbs heard the elevator doors ping and set down his newspaper; the three of them were arriving together, which was unusual, and they were bickering, which was not.

"How can it be un-American Tony? I am American!"

"As am I McGee; however, I have to agree with Tony on this."

Tony held up his sandwich in triumph. "Told you Tim, the peanut butter and jelly sandwich is one of the bedrocks of American life; first you don't like smores, now this…where's it going to end Timmy?"

"It's no big deal, I just don't like the combination."

Tony dropped his back pack to the ground. "You eat Nutter Butters – heck your sister puts peanut butter on a pizza, how can you…?"

His questioning was halted by a piercing whistle. "Enough! You're all on the clock, so stop talking and start working."

"On it Boss."

"Working Boss."

"Right away Gibbs."

They sat down hurriedly, switched on their computers; Tim and Ziva started typing and Tony took another bite of his sandwich.

"DiNozzo, you take one more bite and I'll shove that sandwich so far up your…"

Tony threw the half-eaten sandwich in the trash as Gibbs' phone rang.

"Grab your gear, dead Marine."

"I'll get the truck Boss."

Gibbs shook his head. "Won't need the truck Tony, our Marine's on the Barry."

Tim and Tony headed down to the parking garage and got the crime scene kit from the truck. "How come Ziva's not carrying anything?"

"Well I don't know Tony, maybe she didn't get on Gibbs' nerves quite as much as you did this morning."

"Then how come you're here?"

Tim shrugged. "I got caught in the crossfire I guess; let's move, and make sure you have enough gloves; I'm not getting caught out that way again…"

By the time they got to the ship Gibbs and Ziva were already questioning the man who had found the body and Ducky was examining the Marine.

"It would appear to be a single gunshot to the head. Liver temp suggests he was killed between two and four am."

"Matches up with what the witness says, he came on duty at 06.00, started cleaning the top deck, by the time he got here at about 07.15 the Petty Officer was already cold. Can McGee check for ID Duck?"

"By all means Jethro, I'm done here; Jimmy will be here shortly with the gurney."

Tim stooped down beside the body and pressed the lifeless fingers on the palm-held fingerprint reader, after a short delay he had a name. "Petty Officer Gregory Daniels, based at Quantico."

Gibbs nodded briefly. "Let's get the scene documented. Tim, you head back to NCIS, start getting some background on Daniels."

"On it Boss."

Tim quickly keyed in PO Daniels' service number into the database, he knew he would get some results within minutes, so he took the opportunity to make a quick phone call.

"Hey Abs' looks like I'll need to take a rain-check on lunch."

"I figured; Gibbs already called to say he has some evidence for me. Do you think we'll be okay for tonight?"

"I hope so." He could hear Abby's quiet giggle. "What?"

"You; you're such a terrible liar, I know you're not looking forward to the concert."

"Not fair! For all you know I could be the world's biggest fan of Swedish Death Metal."

"Yeah right!"

They were both laughing as Tim ended the call. He was all business again as Daniels' service record appeared on his screen. Gibbs would want everything ready when he got back and Tim was determined not to give his boss any more reasons to be mad today.

Abby started to switch on the machines she would require for the ballistics and fingerprint evidence; she hoped the case would allow them to finish in time for the concert. Tonight had been her choice, and although she was pretty sure Tim wasn't into the music, she was looking forward to his reactions to another new experience.

She smiled warmly as she recalled some of the times they had shared these last few months…Everything had changed for them after the Port to Port killer case. Abby had sat with Cade after he was shot, his family was out in Washington State, and she didn't want him to be alone. She was worried for him, but all the time she couldn't keep away the thought that was whispering through her mind. 'Better him than one of my Musketeers.' Then she had returned to her lab and Tim was rambling on about it being okay if Cade was more than a friend, she'd been so angry, how could he read the situation so badly? Why didn't he see she was scared for him, for Ziva and Tony, not Cade? Then, just as she was about to blow him off big-style, he'd looked at her as only Tim could look, with his soul in his eyes, and he'd tried to tell her how his life would be if something bad happened to her…she never could resist him when he looked that way, so she'd hugged him tight, and he had held on to her as if he never wanted to let go…

A few days after Cobb was killed, when things had returned to almost normal, Tim asked her out to lunch, and that was how it all started.

He'd been steadfastly studying his coffee cup for two minutes before he finally started to talk.

"Abby…I'm not good with relationships, I know I'm not; heck, you've been a witness to most of my train-wrecks…and I know I messed up before, trying to rush you when you weren't ready, but that was a long time ago, and I wanted to ask – and please just say no if you don't want to, but..." He looked up to see her with a broad grin across her face. "Is it that ridiculous?"

"Well first off, I don't even know what you're asking; gee Tim, that speech was like me on acid."

Tim smiled ruefully. "Trust me to mess it up. What I'm trying to ask, in my usual clumsy fashion…Abs, would you like to go out with me?"

"In case it has escaped your ace investigative mind, I am out with you!"

He shook his head. "Not like this…Abs, I want to go out with you as…not a friend, I mean I am your friend, but I'd like to be more…" He waited for some response, but Abby was uncharacteristically silent. "Wrong move again huh?"

She leaned across and kissed his cheek. "Tim…honestly? I'm not sure…these days I'm not sure about most things, after Cobb things have been so weird, and sometimes, I think about what Kate's sister said, and it's like...I just don't know where I'm headed…"

Abby looked so downhearted, Tim was instantly contrite. He took her hand in his. "I never meant to upset you Abs, just forget what I said; I should keep my mouth shut."

Abby gave his hand a gentle squeeze. "I'm not saying no Tim, only…can we take things nice and slow…maybe start over, get to know each other again?"

And that was how it had started; occasionally they went out for dinner, or a movie, but most times they took turns to choose the destination for their evenings out. They'd each seen a side of the other that they'd forgotten existed, if they ever knew it at all…maybe that had been one of their problems, they had become lovers almost before they were friends, perhaps they never did take the time to get to know each other…they were both determined not to make the same mistake again.