Chapter 4 - with the setting of the sun

"For the last time, DiNozzo," said Gibbs as he and Tony entered the lab. "I have never seen Freaky Friday. Besides, I tasted Abby's potion. It was worse than varnish, but nothing happened to me." He slammed a Caf-Pow on the bench next to McGee. "Whatcha got Abs?"

McGee swallowed hard. Gibbs seemed to be standing too far into his personal space by an order of magnitude. He shuffled away slightly only to have Gibbs lean even closer.

"Oh Abby's been an absolute genius on this one, boss," Abby started, hauling McGee's body around to hem McGee between herself and Gibbs.

McGee raised Abby's eyebrows at her.

"You should give her a raise," Abby continued.

"No, no, no," McGee replied. "McGee is being far too modest as always. I simply couldn't have done it without him."

"Me modest?" Abby countered. "No Boss, she just doesn't want you to be blinded by her brilliance."

"Are you two sleeping together again?" Gibbs cut in.

"No we ruled that out," McGee informed him.

"So what have you got?"

"A match," replied McGee in his best triumphant Abby voice. "We nailed him".

"That's good work, Abbs," said Gibbs kissing him on the cheek.

McGee slid Abby a horrified expression as the moist patch on his face cooled. He was not impressed to see the huge smirk Abby had put on his own face. He never smirked – well almost never. Smug: yes, smirk: no. Then she leaned his check out to Gibbs to receive the same favor and McGee almost choked.

"You OK," Gibbs asked McGee with the tone of concern he reserved for Abby.

"Yeah," McGee eyed Abby malevolently.

Gibbs turned to Abby's McGee, shook his head and left with Tony hot on his heels. Abby and McGee watched them leave in strained silence until the door slid shut. Then they exploded simultaneously.

"What are you doing?" yelled McGee.

"Apparently I do nothing; I leave it all to you!"

"He already thinks I do nothing."

"No he…McGee, it's nearly sun down!"

"So? Oh great, what do we do?"

"Back in the room: so long as we have drunk the potion once, we only have to be touching as the sun sets to swap bodies. It says: 'Who ye touch, shall ye return'. "

"No drinking cat's pee?"

"That was entirely herbal."

"So is arsenic."

"Shhhh." Abby sat cross legged on the floor and pulled him down with her. "Hold my hand."

"And repeat 'there's no place like home'?"

"Stop it."

So intent were they on their mission that, sitting holding hands as the last of the suns rays receded, neither noticed Gibbs re-enter in the lab, stalk to the back room and open the door. It was only just as the sun finally set that McGee noticed Gibbs' hand touching Abby's bare arm. Then the dizziness hit him again.

--END--

Authors note: Admit it – you knew I was going to use that opening line somewhere. At the risk of offending the connoisseurs: Mark Harmon played the mother's fiancé in Freaky Friday.