Author's Note: Yes, it is true! Poison Ivy did not get sent to WIP limbo. I had said in the first chapter that I intended to actually finish a multi-chapter story and I meant it. Granted that didn't stop me from starting a couple new ones, as well, but who am I to deny the plot bunnies? They want me to write multiple stories so I'll write multiple stories.

For those of you who are reading my other stories as well, I currently have a poll set up on my profile pertaining to all my WIPs. Please cast your vote should you decide to check it out.

Review Props: Ami L. Mendal, Ensign Cole


Tim stood just outside the lab door, debating if he should go inside or not. The look Abby had given him earlier scared him more than he cared to admit. Tony had even offered to speak with the Goth before running off to plan tonight's date-crash with Palmer but Tim insisted that he do it first. It needed to be him who spoke with her first. He thought long and hard about this in the car with Tony and decided that they needed to clear the air between each other if he was going to actively pursue Evelyn. Briefly wondering if he was walking to his own execution, Tim inhaled sharply and stepped into the lab.

The only thing that told Tim that Abby even knew he was there was a minute pause in her typing. 'So that's how it's going to go' he thought with a tad bit of resignation. The fact that she hadn't turned around to throw him out made him wary of approaching her work station so he moved to put the evidence table between them. He simply never knew how Abby was going to react in a given situation until it started happening, even if he was considered the resident 'Abby Expert', and the symbolic shield the table provided would probably be needed. Perhaps he should give the title back to Gibbs...

"Abby." Tim didn't know which direction to start with. There were many possible things in this situation that could make her angry with him and he didn't know which one was the worst. "I don't know how to explain anything to you. I don't know where to begin."

"How about starting with the fact that you've been dating someone and haven't told any of us." Abby hissed out, her eyes still on the screen in front of her. Tim nodded to her back, agreeing that that specific topic should be straightened out first.

"Evelyn and I aren't dating, Abby. At least...not yet. I would be lying if I said I didn't want to. She's a wonderful young woman."

"Young would be one way to describe it." That threw Tim through a loop, making him do a double take. Out of everyone on the team he had never suspected that Abby would be one to have an issue with the age difference. She was always preaching that love was love. If he was surprised by that then he really did need to give the 'Abby Expert' title back to Gibbs.

"But that's not the main issue, is it?" Tim pushed on, refusing to believe that his Abby-radar was that far off. "Because not once in the entire time I've known you have you made age an issue about anything. Hell, there's a bigger age difference between Tony and Ziva, and I've lost track of how many times you've schemed to try and get them together."

"That's beside the point. Ziva can kick Tony's ass if she wanted to. She..." Abby finally turned around to argue face to face.

"Really, Abby?" Tim interrupted. "Their age difference is fine because Ziva can literally go through with her 'death by paperclip' threats if she wanted to? I know Tony can be lewd at the best of times but he's not that bad as to actually require his ass to be handed to him."

"I know he's not." Abby insisted with a glare. "But Ziva's experience evens the playing field between them. Dr. Brant is barely of age and..."

"More mature and mindful of her actions than a large hunk of people here at the Yard." Tim interrupted again. He wasn't about to let Abby divert off into a tangent. At least he could see that coming. "You make it sound like I'm going to corrupt her, taint her, destroy her virtue. Abby, you know I'm not some skirt chaser who only goes after women to get them into bed!"

"I didn't say that!" Abby yelled back defensively. She slid off her stool and stepped towards the table in an unconscious effort to support her claim.

"Then what are you saying, Abby? I came down here to straighten things out between us. I know you're angry. I'm trying to figure out why!" That look Abby had given him before appeared again and the context of their argument explained in sudden clarity what Tim hadn't been able to figure out earlier. "It's...it's not Evelyn you have a problem with, is it? It's me."

"McGee, no." Abby denied immediately, a panicked expression appearing on her face. "I do not have a problem with you. I could never have a problem with you. You're..."

"Dependable. Courteous. Willing to wait to let a woman be sure of her decision." Tim finished for her in an even, understanding tone. "Many people here in the Yard have been expecting us to get back together despite of Rule 12, probably including Gibbs, and we've done nothing that would say otherwise. We flirt, we spend a lot of our free time together, we haven't really put a true effort into dating others and get jealous when we see the other with someone else. What else could anyone, including ourselves, think would happen between us?"

"McGee, where is this coming from?" Abby asked in confusion that barely masked her earlier anger, turning the tables on him.

"You tell me, Abby. Why are you so angry with me just because I'm showing interest in another woman?" Tim answered with his own question. Abby mimicked a goldfish for a few seconds as she searched for a reply to give him. Tim was finally shutting up long enough to allow her to do more than answer a direct question and she was having trouble finding something to say.

"It's just...it's easy to see that you've known her for a while now and I'm feeling blindsided and I didn't know that the chance of getting back together like you had mentioned disappeared without my notice and...and...and..." Angry tears started to form in Abby's eyes during her rant, slowly slipping down her cheeks. Tim had to remind himself not to walk around the table to hug her. "And I feel like I've been toyed with! I can blow off other men doing that with me, McGee, but not you! I've always thought that you could be the one if I could get over my own cowardice!"

Tim wasn't happy with what it took for them to admit their feelings to one another after all these years of working together. It was just one small event after another, slowly building up until it finally exploded upon the entrance of a second, real interest in one of their lives. Tim didn't know what made Evelyn different from all the other women he'd tried dating in the past handful of years but it was clear that she was, to anyone paying attention.

"Abby." Tim began slowly when it was clear to him that she wasn't going to say any more. "I waited. I did. I wanted you to be the one. When I told you that I loved you, I meant it."

"But..." The look of anticipatory agony on Abby's face was not easy for Tim to take. To know that he was the reason that it was there made it worse.

"But...I can't wait anymore, Abby. I can't. And if I'm being completely honest, here, I think the love I had originally felt for you doesn't exist anymore. I think it hasn't existed for a while." 'Thank god we aren't working a case' was all Tim could think at the moment. The two of them emotionally out for the count while searching for a killer would not a happy Gibbs make. Tim wasn't even finished with what he needed to say and the tears were streaming down Abby's face. It made it extremely difficult for him to continue. "I want a woman who's going to let me hold her when she needs me. To protect her, to take care of her, to love her and not be scared off by the idea of a domestic lifestyle. I don't want her to change who she is but I also don't want her adverse to the idea of compromise. Whether she wants to be a career woman or decides to go the homemaker route, I want a woman who's going to be there for me when I come home from work just like I'll be there for her. I want a woman who'll understand that, while I have interwoven my work and personal lives somewhat, I still want to keep certain aspects of them separate. I want a woman who isn't going to be afraid to take what I have to give."

A couple things Tim listed off hit sore spots with Abby, showing each time she winced through-out his little speech, and that told him he was right in expressing exactly what he was looking for. They were being forced to face the reality of their situation between them because of it.

"We've been dancing around each other for the last few years, Abby, and it has to stop. I am jumping off this train before it gets out of control. We may have thought of each other as the one we wanted to be with for the rest of our lives but we can't be. What we each want out of life just doesn't match enough to allow us to be a compatible couple. We wouldn't last." Abby finally burst into tears, backing away from the evidence table to collapse back onto her stool. Tim gave in to his urge and rushed around the table to pull her into a hug which she returned. He let her vent her pent up emotions knowing they needed to be let out now lest they build up into another explosion, possibly on an innocent bystander. When Abby's sobs quieted down to sniffles and the occasional wet gasp for air, Tim kissed her on the top of her head and hugged her tighter as he finished in a whisper. "I love you, Abby. Always will. I just don't love you the same way anymore."

"I guess I should have seen this coming. That part of you hasn't changed one bit since I first met you." Abby warbled, swallowing hard. "And especially since you've been keeping your dating life secret."

"I haven't kept anything a secret, Abby." Tim corrected as he pulled away just enough to look her in the face.

"But Dr. Brant...she seemed so excited to see you earlier..."

"I met Evelyn at the writer's convention I attended last month. She and I have spent some time together since then but nothing that we've considered a date."

"Really?" Abby asked in surprise. Tim nodded.

"The closest would probably be when I took her to see Star Trek. Everything else I've done with her I regularly do with Tony and Ziva, so they'd hardly be date-worthy."

"Oh..." Abby paused. "I guess this is a good reason why Gibbs has a rule about assuming, doesn't he?"

Tim snorted out a laugh, relieved that the tension between them was gone. Abby was starting to joke again.

"Yeah, I would guess so. Most likely not the reason he used when creating the rule but a good example, none the less."

"She's very nice, you know." Was Abby's reply. "Reminds me of you. Well, of you when we first met. She works a computer like it's an extension of herself."

"Yeah, I've seen her do some work on her own computer. She would be the only person I'm willing to admit knows a computer better than I do. If I can work one in my sleep, she can do it comatose."

"Wow." Abby pulled out of the hug with a mild look of amazement. "She really must be good if you're admitting she's better than you."

Tim snorted, pulling on one of Abby's pigtails.

"Cheeky. Listen, you going to be ok if I leave right now? It's not good to leave Tony and Palmer unsupervised for extended periods of time." Abby nodded, wiping her face dry with a quick flick of her hands.

"Yes. I'll be fine. What are the Terrible Twins doing?"

"Going over Tony's plan for the date-crash tonight." Tim answered with a groan at the mere thought of what those two were coming up with. "I don't understand why Tony wants to make it into this big production. It's not difficult to interrupt a date."

"It's Tony. He sees a pretty girl, he wants to impress her regardless of if he's interested in her or not." Abby pointed out.

"True." Tim hesitated a second before kissing Abby on the temple. "I'll talk to you later." With one last tug on one of her pigtails, Tim turned on his heel and headed off to go see what Tony and Jimmy were scheming.


"You survived!" Tony exclaimed as Tim walked into autopsy. "I figured we would have to file a missing persons report, considering there wouldn't be any evidence of your death."

"About that, Tony. You may want to go check in on Abby later. She said she was going to be fine when I asked before leaving but I'd still feel better if someone checked in on her." Tim frowned as he approached the table that Tony and Jimmy were at, leaning on it with a hip.

"Not gonna ask why, as I have a feeling I'll get a play-by-play from Abby, but alright. I'll go ask her if she wants to come with me and Jimmy tonight after you ditch me for the red-headed temptress." Tim choked on air at the unexpected nickname, putting Tony and Jimmy into a fit of laughter.

"Tony, you did not just call Evelyn a 'red-headed temptress'." Tim hissed when he finally regained his breath.

"What?" The Italian asked with an innocent face. "Young she may be, my dear Probie, but Dr. Brant is certifiably hot. She could get you wrapped around her little finger with very little effort on her part."

"You're old enough to be her father." Tim pointed out, relishing the grimace that appeared on Tony's face. Downside was that Jimmy started laughing harder.

"Thanks for making me feel old, McCradle Robber. Guess that's the thanks I get for helping you."

"You walked into that one, Tony." Jimmy managed to get out between gasps for air. "Even I saw that coming."

Tony just stuck his tongue out at Jimmy, re-establishing his immature mentality before turning back to Tim.

"Anyway, Black Lung and I were trying to think of ways to get me out of the picture once Mr. Pig leaves."

"But for obvious reasons it can't be work related." Jimmy continued through subdued chuckles. "Anything work related would require both of you to leave. We only want to kick Tony out of the party."

"Which is probably a first for him." Tim smirked at his partner. "Why don't you do an SOS call, Jimmy?"

"Huh?" Jimmy looked back and forth between the two field agents in front of him as Tony nodded in understanding.

"Don't worry, Autopsy Gremlin. I know where McGee is coming from and it's perfect. I'll explain later." Trusting Tony to do as he said, Jimmy shrugged off any other questions he had.

"Now on to what I've been wanting to know since Tony barged in. Who's Dr. Brant?" Tim gave Tony a look, who had resorted back to his innocent look again.

"Evelyn, or Dr. Brant, is a forensic psychologist and computer expert who works at the Jeffersonian. I met her at the writer's convention I attended last month." Tim felt like he'd been repeating that all day. "She was here earlier installing some new equipment. Evelyn had originally asked me earlier to call her to give her an excuse to leave a date early but Tony here suggested we go crash it. She apparently liked that idea better so that's what we're doing.

"Don't omit." Tony accused with a grin. "McGee here was against the idea at first. Only said yes because Dr. Brant gave him a hopeful look with her big, doe eyes and McSmitten here was helpless to resist."

"I am not smitten." Tim retorted, despite the slight blush that was beginning to form on his face. "Even Gibbs would have buckled under that look. She is a red-head, after all."

Tony and Jimmy remained silent, anticipatory looks of amusement on their faces. Tim wondered why they weren't saying anything when he realized what he had just said and tensed up just before his head jerked forward from a head slap.

"Sorry, Boss." Was out of Tim's mouth as a simple knee-jerk reaction to being head slapped. The others remained silent, probably because of a look from Gibbs, though it was clear they were laughing on the inside.

"If you two have so much time on your hands maybe you should go clean and organize the truck." Gibbs heavily suggested. Tim turned around to answer and saw that Ducky was with Gibbs, having returned from whatever errands a Medical Examiner needs to do during the work day.

"Right away, Boss."

"Why don't you join them, Mr. Palmer? I'm sure learning how the supply truck is organized will be useful information to you at a later date." Ducky added on with a restrained look of entertainment at the three of them, also interrupting whatever it was Gibbs was about to add. Seeing their chance to get out of there quickly without any further damage, Tim, Tony, and Jimmy didn't hesitate to head towards the elevator.