Possession

Part One

Tim McGee stood in his tuxedo drinking in the ocean of sex-starved women before him. The hall was filled with them; old, young, tall, short, some bold and others meek. He smiled, trying to lap up the attention but it was all a bit daunting.

"Do I hear any more bids, ladies?" Gibbs asked.

He'd just 'sold' Tony DiNozzo for three hundred bucks, Ducky for five hundred – by Ziva - and now it was McGee's turn. Being auctioneer for the night excluded Gibbs from being auctioned but he was fine with that. Director Shepherd had already secured his company for herself tonight.

Tony stood in the crowd with his 'owner' for the next forty-eight hours and seemed quite happy with the idea. She was a tall, leggy brunette answering to the name of Louisa and who, apparently, worked in accounts. The red dress that clung to her every crevice was more than enough to convince Tony he'd been 'bought' by the right woman.

"Tim is a worthy candidate, ladies," he went on. He looked down at his notes and added, reading from them, "He will carry out your every whim it says here." Gibbs smiled, moved the microphone from his lips and stared at Tony. Knowing something of Agent McGee's personality, it was unlikely Tim himself wrote the note. Tony was grinning from ear to ear. Gibbs nodded in confirmation, Tony had written it. Gibbs turned to see Tim's expression. It was something between 'rabbit caught in the headlights' and 'please, Gibbs, stop the auction now!'

Gibbs laughed.

"Two hundred and fifty dollars!" a woman in the front row called.

"Two hundred and fifty dollars from Miss Latimer in the front row," Gibbs repeated. "Any more?" He scanned around the room for one more to top the bid. "Remember, ladies, all the money raised tonight will go to the orphans home. Without us, they won't be seeing Santa this year!" his words dripped with manipulation.

From the back of the hall, a door slammed shut, and everybody turned around to see Abby standing there. Dressed in her usual Goth-chick wardrobe she flung her hand in the air and called out dramatically.

"Gibbs! Gibbs! I'll pay double the last bid!"

Tim grinned. If he was going to be owned by someone, please God let it be Abby. Sure she had a head full of God-knows-what but she was Abby. He knew her. He knew what to expect, well, he had an idea of what to expect. That was the thing with her, you never could completely tell what to expect but that was half the fun.

"Miss Scuito," Gibbs said her name with more than an inkling of admiration. "The current bid is two hundred and fifty dollars making yours five hundred. Are you sure?"

Abby stared in horror. She hadn't realised it had gone up so quickly. She'd just gone to the ladies room just after Tony's bid ended. She stared at Tim who stared back sharing equal measures of terror. If she bid, she'd better get her moneys worth. But if she didn't, poor Timmy, her Timmy would be bought by some over-sexed woman hoping to get her claws into him. Could she let that happen?

She took a deep breath and the audience waited for her response but before she let out another word, someone from the middle of the crowd threw their hand in the air.

"A thousand dollars!"

The crowd turned from Abby to the new bidder. A chilly sensation swept through Abby. She couldn't bid more, she'd been weighing up the pro's and con's of half that not two seconds ago but a thousand dollars? Was Tim really worth it?

Tim looked for the face to match the current bid in the crowd and when he found it, closed his eyes in shock. It was the woman who'd been chatting to him the moment he arrived this evening. Her name was Sian or Shona or some such thing. He hadn't been that interested, the woman was not his type. Short spiky grey hair sat atop her head while her pointed, purposeful face stared at him. She reminded him of an overbearing school mistress, the kind that would take a cane to his hands if he didn't do as he was told. Forty-eight hours with her. No way!

"Abby, if you don't bid again, I will kill myself right now!" he whispered to himself. He stared at Abby intently, willing her to bid.

"Miss Scuito?" Gibbs prompted, eyes open wide, wondering how she was going to answer his question.

The crowd waited eagerly. This was better than Friday night TV. Hell, this was almost better than sex!

"Oh my God," she whispered inwardly. She looked at Tim's anxious face, bringing to the forefront of her mind exactly what he meant to her and how he could repay her. And then her decision was made.

"Two thousand and one dollars!" she yelled.

The crowd went nuts.

And for a moment, so did Abby.

Tim closed his eyes for a second time, relief lacing his feelings.

But the bidding hadn't officially closed. Someone else could easily out bid her again.

Reluctantly, she looked through the crowd at the other bidder. From the look of her, she wasn't about to bid again. Abby glared at Gibbs hoping he'd end the bidding and now!

"So, did I win the geek or what, Gibbs?" she called across the room. Again the audience went nuts, this time with laughter.

Tim smiled, his breathing somewhat restless. Normally he didn't like the 'geek' label, but it felt different when coming from Abby. It was a compliment.

"Any more bids?" Gibbs asked. A moment of trepidation drifted across the room until nobody answered his question and he replied. "In that case, Abby, you are the proud owner of one Tim McGee. He belongs to you for the next forty-eight hours. My only advice is to make good use of him and get your moneys worth!"

"Cool," she nodded, a beaming smile across her lips.

"One thing, Abs," Gibbs continued. "Do with him what you will but make sure he is available for work on Monday morning, okay?"

"Absolutely."

And she walked through the crowd to claim her man.

5