Tim twitched and felt the trickle of sweat run cold down his back. He was going to have to tell them. Why now? Why did it have to come out now? Gibbs had specicially told everyone that they needed to stay low profile for a while.

If the Head of Imation Industries even suspected Navy involvement in this investigation they wouldn't get a word out of her. And now this. Today.

It was all meant to be a bit of fun and he didn't even think he would make it through but now?

Oh Lord what were they all going to say? The very thought of the potential teasing material made his guts clench.

Suck it up Tim. He spoke to himself severely. Reaching into his desk drawer he took a deep breath, pulled it out and started walking towards Gibbs desk.

Gibbs watched as Tim with an embarrassed look stood fiddling in front of his desk. Tony, Ziva and Abby couldn't help but turn their attention to watch what was going on. McGees slumped posture spoke volumes.

"Ahh Boss you know how you told everyone to keep an especially low profile lately? Well I didn't realize it was coming out today… I did it months ago… and I didn't think I would even get in… I think my publisher pulled some strings….And"

Gibbs frowned up at McGee "Spit it out McGee"

Tim opened his mouth as if to say something and then pulled out the magazine in his hand and dropped it onto Gibbs desk.

"I made it into Washingtons 50 Most Wanted Bachelors List." Tim cringed as Gibbs eyebrows shot up and stayed there.

"You what? You have got to be kidding!" Tony's voice sounding out from his desk betrayed the fact he had been listening in.

Suddenly the magazine was snatched off the desk by Tony with a joyful "Oh Ho I have just GOT to see this. Come on spill Probie. What page?"

Tim gritted his teeth. Ok let the teasing commence, might as well just get it over with. "Page 52 "

Ziva and Abby clustered around Gibbs' desk as Tony furiously flicked through the pages and spread the magazine out front and center of the desk so they could all get a good view.

On the page was Giles Sanderlands the professional surfer as he stood wet and tanned on the beach next to his surfboard. The page was a riot of bright colors and light and Giles looked gorgeous as he smiled at the camera in swimming trunks with beach towel in hand, water still dripping off his blond curls and his muscular chest and taut six pack on full display.

"Ahh that is so not you McGee" Tony smiled at McGee who gritted his teeth and responded "Other page, Tony"

All their attention suddenly turned to the rather dark page opposite.

"Oh"

The four of them looked with surprise at the page which initially seemed drab compared to the beach sun, sand and surf scene they had just been ogling.

Instead of one large picture and a written profile there were three images running across the page plus a smaller picture above the written profile. All of the pictures were shot in black and white and appeared to be set in a large old fashioned library with the walls lined with shelves of leather bound books.

"Oh Timmy there you are!" Abby was excited as she peered at the images trying to get a good look over Tony and Ziva's shoulders.

The first image was of McGee in a very sharp black tuxedo suit and tie with a crisp white dress shirt. He was sitting on an old scrolled timber and velvet chaise lounge, resting elbows on knees facing the camera with a crystal tumbler in his hands. He was looking right at the camera with a little mysterious smile on his face. He looked relaxed and confident, his hair was a little mussed flopping over a little bit onto his forehead . On the small table to the side of the chaise were items alluding to his crime writer status: a gun, metal handcuffs, a spent bullet casing, a woman's black silk stocking, a curled leather whip. It added an air of danger and excitment to the striking image resulting in McGee looking more like a young version of James Bond than anything else.

And absolutely 100 percent smoking hot.

The next image was in the same location but this time McGee had shed his black jacket and undone his black silk tie so it simply lay loose around the open collar of his white shirt, which had been released of a few buttons. This time his lean six foot one frame was draped out across the chaise with his head supported on one hand from the high end of the curved velvet chaise. His other arm sat loose across his trim waist, emphasized even more by the slim black silk cumberbund he wore. The gold and diamond cufflinks he wore in the French cuffs of his pure white tailored dress shirt seemed to catch the light and tried to compete for the readers attention against the intense smoky Come Hither look Tim wore in his big expressive eyes. The little mysterious smile had become an all out pouty smirk as the camera privately adored him.

Abby licked her lips as she considered how she would like to crawl up that same chaise and wipe that smirk from his face. And exactly what she would do to McGee to achieve that.

The third image had Tim leaning back into the chaise, running one hand through his silky hair and laughing delighted at the camera, his eyes sparkling while his other hand dangled the metal handcuffs teasingly off one finger. The cuff links and cumberbund were gone, his sleeves loose and his shoes and socks had also presumably joined the growing pile of clothes unseen on the floor. His shirt had been released of a few more buttons giving a tantelising gimpse of bare chest. He had drawn his knees up so the camera viewed him sideways showing his bare feet on the rich velvet upholstery. He looked sexy, vulnerable, dangerous and fun all at the same time.

Ziva just stared as she considered the sensation of the soft velvet against bare skin. And the handcuffs. It was as if in between shots McGee was being kissed, adored and slowly undressed before the camera again started working.

Tony considered all three images with a practiced eye and was surprised to admit McGee looked fantastic. Very….. very…. Something. Handsome? In a very straight sort of a way. It seemed strange to consider McGee as handsome, he generally fitted into more of the 'Cute' description or perhaps 'Nice & Sweet'. The first image was definitely the best. Without question. Classic black and white. Sharp. Elegant. Come and get me straight down the barrel. It gave McGee's face angles and definition you didn't normally get to see.

Abby found her attention drawn to the smaller photo in the corner. It was a single black and white photo close up of Tim's face in profile. His chin was tilted up and his eyes were closed showing his long curved eyelashes falling across his smooth cheek. He was holding the crystal decanter to his temple as if it somehow soothed his anguished thoughts. His full lips were slightly open and wet as if he had just licked them or taken a drink from the glass.

Ziva swallowed.

They all turned as one to look at McGee fidgeting in the center of the bullpen, nervously waiting on their reaction.

"So? What do you think? They're not too embarrassing are they?"

"Embarrassing? No McGee they actually look great! I'm impressed." Tony smiled encouragingly.

Abby smiled "Totally hot Timmy"

"Really? You like them?" Releif flooded through Tim as he searched their faces for signs of pity or suppressed laughter and found none.

Tim sighed and stepped forward to look over the magazine spread "I was worried when I saw it. They stuck me next to Giles Sanderlands. I mean how do I look next to him? Pale and scrawny."

They all turned and looked again at the brightly lit beach scene on the other side. After studying Tim's photos which seemed layered in complexity the image seemed one dimensional and overly simple. Abby suspected it reflected the personaility of the subject, nice but kind of simple just as Tim's showed his intelligence, elegance, sophistication and occasional wicked sense of humor.

Ziva smirked "Yes McGee and he is the one that suffers from the comparison."

Tim smiled and stood a little taller at that.

Gibbs rolled his eyes "McGee getting into a magazine spread is not what I consider keeping a low profile. At least the article bit is talking about you as Gemcity the author, not as Special Agent McGee and only says vaugly that you work for a Government Agency and nothing specific about NCIS. Let's just hope no one has had a chance to read this yet."

Tim smiled releaved. "Yes Boss."

"So Probie…… what was it like then, the photos shoot and all? Tell me all about it. Were there all these gorgeous woman just lying around waiting to be smiled at by the great author?" Tony wiggled his eyebrows suggestively while Abby and Ziva laughed. Tim just smiled and shrugged.

"Actually the photographer Ann spent some time just chatting to me and then she started tossing out ideas seeing what I might like. I was worried they might…… I don't know stick me in front of a computer or something but these are much better. It was a bit weird at first but it was kind of fun in the end."

Tim pointed to the last shot on the page where he was laughing and dangling the handcuff from his finger "See that one there? Ann just kept telling me dirty jokes and teasing me to make me smile. Mostly it seemed like we were just mucking around. I didn't know when she was actually taking pictures or just checking her camera for light."

Gibbs cleared his throat significantly and looked up at Abby, Ziva, Tony and McGee standing in front of his desk all babbling, giggling and pointing like school girls.

Ziva was the first to take the hint "Perhaps we can discuss this some other time… perhaps when there isn't some work to do?" Ziva nudged Tony who was still staring at McGees pictures with a sort of jealous fascination. It was only once Ziva had nudged him hard enough in the chest to possibly bring up bruising did Tony finally saunter back t his desk.

Tim picked up the magazine from Gibbs desk and returned it to his drawer with a smile on his face. Ok maybe this wouldn't be so bad? And hey, Tony for all his good looks and charm had never got into Washingtons 50 Most Wanted bachelors List had he?

He personally liked the small profile shot of his face. He liked to consider it his Tourtured Poet shot. He was sick and tired of women telling him he was nice or he was sweet. Mostly because that was generally followed by the familiar I'm sorry Tim but I really don't see us together… or I like you but not in that way.

In that image he didn't look sweet or nice. It looked like any minute he might just throw the glass to the ground shattering it in a fit of passion or rage. Or even flash open his eyes and pull the object of his anguished desire into his arms. He smiled to himself and threw himself into his work while his four team mates silently considered Timothy's features in a new light.

That afternoon Tony and McGee stood waiting to gain entrance to Imation Industies. Both of them wore earwigs and were miked. Tim fidgeted nervously. The warrant had already been turned down and they needed to get 'voluntary permission' to essentially rummage through Imations secure files.

It was along shot. A very long shot. And they had one chance to convince Director Pamela Cross that they really were the recomended Security Consultants they said they were. Hopefully once they got access to some of the files that would give them some information they could then follow. And hopeful then that information could produce some legitimate evidence to be able to get the warrant they despiratly needed.

Abby has spent considerable time creating false ID's for them and creating an entire background for each of them. It had been decided that Tony would be front man, working the charm while McGee would take over when it looked like slipping into 'Geek Speak'

Director Cross stepped out into reception and stopped, staring. Tony and McGee stood, smiling. Ok here we go.

"Director Cross, I would like to introduce myself.."

Director Pamela Cross ignored Tony's extended hand and sweapt her eyes down McGee with a lascivious eye.

"Well Mr Gemcity, I believe?"

Tim cursed his editor, his luck and everything else he could think of while Gibbs muttered in his ear. Well he could hardly deny it now.

Director Cross smiled enthusiastically while unconsciously licking her lips "So your here to get some information on our cutting edge technology I presume? You and your publisit here?" She flicked her hand in Tony's general direction while she continued to undress Tim with her eyes.

Tim paused for a split second as his mind re ordered the careful characterization he had painstakingly memnorised. Tony smoothly inserted himself between them as a good publisit should.

"Well you obviously know Mr Gemcity here painstakingly researchs all his information and locations and well we can't be too specific… but there is a new book in the works. We heard that Imation was the best and so here we are."

"Well Mr Gemcity, it is a pleasure and please call me Pamela. How about we discuss this in my office"

"Now Pamela, we would ask that you keep this visit confidential as it may reveil aspects of the next book that we are working hard to keep under wraps." Tony smoothly took Pamela by the elbow and took control of the conversation as the three of them sweapt into the office they had been trying to get into for the last three weeks.

'Well I suppose that's one way to do it." Gibbs just shook is head wrily.

(A small folow up to this -hopefully. Just again getting the images out of my head so I can write my other stuff. In weird place at moment)