Thanks so much to everyone for their comments! Hopefully I can keep the momentum going ;-)

McGee sat staring out the window as the DC scenery slid by at a dizzying speed. The season was getting late and it was dark out already. The road was awash with the car lights of people going home, getting to have a life and a weekend. And here he was stuck in a car with Special Agent Dinozzo for only Gibbs knew how long.

He couldn't believe that Gibbs had sent him out alone with Dinozzo. Although he tried as hard as could to be what he thought a good field agent should be, most days he didn't think Tony even liked him. Abby told him he was trying too hard, but he didn't know any other way to be.

Tony had never even asked if McGee wanted to drive. Not that McGee had expected to drive, still it would be nice to be asked once in a while. Tony had just signed out the keys to the SUV in that superior way he had. He'd gone straight to the driver's side and climbed in, drumming his fingers on the wheel impatiently waiting for his partner. McGee clambered in the passenger side quickly, clicking his seat belt into place. Having been in the car with Tony driving before, he felt safer on a submarine during war games.

"It really sucks being sent out at the end of the shift," McGee tried to start the conversation ball rolling.

While he knew that the other man was just as disappointed to have his weekend plans disrupted, Tony just smiled tolerantly, "What are you going to do, Probie? That's just Gibbs." Tony shrugged. "He tends to take dead marines personally."

"Yeah." McGee agreed glumly, "I guess you're right." He cast about for another subject. "I guess we can give up any plans for tonight."

That earned him a flash of smile, "Well, not necessarily, Probie, I know a few short cuts. We should get back in time for a little bit of date-time tonight. You might still get to see that new tat of Abs."

That was it, he'd had enough, "You going to call your date and tell her you're going to be late?"

Keeping his eyes on the road, Tony still managed to sneak a sideways glance at his passenger, "And what do you know about that?" His tone was casual, but McGee knew him well enough now to know there was more there.

"What was her name again?" McGee asked, enjoying himself a little.

Tony frowned, "Barbara, her name was Barbara."

"It was Teresa!" McGee pounced in triumph. "You told Kate it was Teresa."

Tony shrugged, a study in indifference, "Teresa? Barbara? What difference does it make?"

"You've been teaching me a lot about surveillance techniques, Tony. And I employed some of those today."

"What the hell, Probie?" Tony frowned at him, "Alright, tell me, what you think you know?"

McGee paused uncertainly. He hadn't foreseen the way this conversation was going, but he decided to go for it, "I know I heard you on the phone today when you thought no one else was listening. You said you didn't want anyone at NCIS to know what you were going to be doing tonight." McGee felt a little like he was interrogating a witness, "What are your plans for tonight, Tony?"

Tony didn't seem upset, just amused, "My private life is just that, McGee, private. Let's keep it that way, okay?"

He reached forward, fumbling with the controls on the radio until he found something loud and metallic.

Okay then, the conversation was over, McGee got the message loud and clear.

He winced at the cacophony coming from the speakers, but didn't say anything, he just turned his gaze back out the window, watching the other drivers as they made their way to their dinners and their oh-so-normal lives.

Sometimes McGee envied them.

Sometimes.