Title: Not Counting In Sequence, chapter 2
Pairing: Tabby (duh)
Rating: PG-13
Summary: just read it :)

As Tony stepped from the elevator yet again, he heard the tail end of Abby and McGee's conversation.

"I'm sorry, Tim. I didn't want to hurt you, but I wanted you to know how I felt."

Tony froze. Did she tell Probie about her new lust object? Tony smirked to himself as he thought of someone lusting over him.

"I guess if you don't have feelings for me, that's your choice, but I would feel better if you at least told me why."

She hadn't said anything yet! As much as Tony wanted Probie to know he was hotter than him yet again, he knew he had to talk to Abby himself before she could tell McGee anything.

"McGee, you down here?" Tony called out, pretending he had just arrived in the basement.

McGee sighed, and said to Abby, "We'll finish this later," as Tony walked into the lab. "Yeah, Tony, what do you want?"

"Geez, what side of the computer did you wake up on this morning?" Tony laughed at his own joke, but it was unreciprocated. "Get it? Probie likes computers...ah, forget it. Ziva wants you for something. Probably to help with her computer or something. Who knows. She wasn't really specific, she just said to get you right away."

"Okay." McGee looked at Tony strangely. "You've been acting really weird today, Tony."

"Says you. Now get going!" Tony ordered and McGee left the lab, leaving Tony and Abby alone.

"So, Tony, what's up?" Abby asked, acting like she was extremely interested in those DNA test results and that her heart wasn't pounding from being left alone with Tony. 'What the hell is wrong with me?' she wondered to herself.

"Well, I guess I should just come out and say something," Tony said. Abby turned around slowly and looked up at Tony, not sure what to expect. "I was down her earlier, Abs, and I heard you...talking to yourself."

"You did?" Abby asked, embarrassed. "You weren't meant to hear that. I didn't want things to be awkward between us."

"Why would things be awkward between us?" Tony asked quietly. "We're friends."

"Yeah, friends," Abby said glumly. She didn't want to come off as too upset, but she was disappointed at Tony's words, and still embarrassed that he had found out about her pathetic little schoolgirl crush on him.

Tony noticed her gloomy demeanor and realized he had said something wrong. "I'm sorry, Abby. I didn't mean for that to sound like it did. Why were you so sure I didn't feel the same way about you?"

"Well, you don't get into serious relationships for one, you're not into goth, we're friends and you don't date your friends..."

"Okay, that's enough," Tony interrupted. "I guess that's the way it looks, isn't it?" Abby nodded slowly. "But I have my reasons. Maybe I never get into serious relationships because I didn't find someone I wanted to be in a relationship with. Maybe I've never really thought goth made me look that attractive to women. And maybe," he moved closer to Abby and cupped her chin in his hands, "I didn't date my friends because I didn't know how they felt about me."

Abby's eyes lit up at Tony's last statement. "I always thought you were cute no matter what."

Tony started laughing and Abby joined in, then he threw his arms around her, kissing the top of her head. "We okay now?"

Abby nodded underneath him, then pulled her head out. "So what does this mean?"

"It means," he held her out at arm's length, "I have to get back to work." He smirked and moved towards the elevator.

"Tony!" Abby exclaimed, trying to act mad, but failing.

"I'm going to go probe Probie and see if we can't get ourselves some Monster Sledge tickets." Tony poked his head around the corner at Abby.

Abby screamed, excited. "Oh my God, Tony, you're the best!" She jumped into his arms again, this time excited enough to kiss him full on the lips, which startled Tony at first, but then he relaxed as they enjoyed their first kiss.

They eventually pulled away, breathless. "So. It's a date?" Tony asked.

"Yeah," Abby responded softly. This time Tony did get on the elevator, and as soon as the doors closed, Abby started dancing around. Unbeknownst to her, inside the elevator car, Tony was doing the same thing.