What's Past is Prologue

by Caliente

14. 'Flesh and Blood' Abby asks about Tim's parents and he deflects; 15. 'Jet Lag' Abby speculates over TIVA while Tim tries not to; 16. 'Masquerade' Abby isn't annoyed and Tim isn't overly skinny; 17. 'Jack Knife' Abby worries Werth hurt Tim—and the rest of the team; 18. 'Jack Knife' Abby sees Tim's run ragged and insists he rests –– series of unrelated missing scenes in Season 7

14. Flesh and Blood

Author's Note: Sometime during the episode and told from McGee's perspective. Sort of relates back to the second Silent Night vignette. Unbeta'd as per the usual. Thanks for reading!
Disclaimer: Characters mentioned are used without permission and are trademarks of CBS/DPB; I am simply borrowing them for my purposes. Also, the title is a quote from The Bard and, therefore, not my own. Please don't sue.

What's Past is Prologue
by, Caliente

Flesh and Blood

There was a smirk on Tim's face as he watched Anthony DiNozzo, Sr. speaking with Ziva—and the smile she gave him in response. "Wow." He shook his head, bemused. "I guess now we know where Tony gets it from, huh?"

Abby smacked his arm but couldn't hide the small quirk of amusement on her lips. A comfortable silence fell between them for a minute before she picked up the conversation again. "What about your parents?"

Tim blinked. "What about them?" he asked, caught between confusion and wariness.

"When are we going to meet them?" She tilted her head at Tim. "I mean, even when we were dating, you never introduced me." If she'd been anyone else, he might've worried that her feelings were hurt.

But this was Abby and meeting parents was serious business as far as he was concerned, and she hadn't wanted to be serious. So he just shrugged and made an excuse: "They don't travel here much."

The expression on her face was one of skepticism as she eyed him. "Oh." Clearly she wasn't buying it.

He didn't explain further, though. Because, truth was, Tim had already told them all about her—had even planned the introduction out back during their dating phase. He'd just been waiting until he could move things between them beyond casual. But, of course, that day never came and then they became something… else. Friends, mostly, but sometimes more, too.

And, really, he didn't even know how to begin to explain her to them. What she meant to him, how their relationship worked. He just knew the idea made him vaguely nauseated, something he suspected had more to do with the unstated 'more' than anything else—and the way they never, ever talked about it.

This time the silence between them wasn't anything resembling comfortable. Tim suspected they were both relieved when Gibbs called for their attention.