Basically this chapter is about e-mails. Plus ZIVA!!! Yes she makes a round about appearance in this chapter because I just couldn't stand not having her in the story. So review please and more chapters will be up soon.


2 months, 19 days, 24 hours, 2 minutes

Abby sat on her bed, laptop sitting in front of her, e-mail account up and running but nothing but Tim's address had been typed in. She had been trying for hours to figure out the best way to write back to Tim without making him feel pressured to come home. She also wanted to make sure she didn't come across as jealous because of this Edith woman that he had run into recently.

She didn't have any real reason to be jealous in the first place. All Tim had said was that she was a friend of his, nothing more. It was good for him to have friends; she didn't want him going crazy from solitude while he was away. But for some reason she couldn't shake the feeling that Edith might be the one to steal Tim away forever.

Abby shook her head; she was being stupid and worrisome over something stupid. This woman's name was Edith, that was an old lady's name. She probably lived in his building and he had met her while he helped carry up her grocery's. Abby smiled, the knot of jealousy slowly untying itself. Picking up her laptop she began to type her e-mail.

'Hey McGee'

She quickly backspaced and was left with a blank page once more, Abby tried again.

'Hey Timmy'

Abby wondered if the seeming enthusiasm was too much. She didn't want to guilt him but she didn't want to make it seem like everything was ok. Sighing Abby leaned back against her headboard as she reached for the Caff-Pow on her nightstand. Taking a big gulp she backspaced once more.

'Hi Tim'

She smiled, that felt right. It took her a few tries but she finally composed an e-mail that she hoped was reassuring and understanding enough. Abby hugged Bert to her chest, the stuffed animal made it's usual fart noise as she pressed the send button. She prayed that he would answer back soon. She prayed that Edith didn't take him away from her even more than he had taken himself.

2 months, 18 days, 2 hours, 15 minutes

It was 2 in the morning and he had finally finished his e-mail to Abby. He wondered if she still wanted to hear from him after so long. He had ignored her deliberately for two weeks and hadn't even really given her a chance to say goodbye.

He hoped she would understand. He couldn't tell her everything, he couldn't tell her that Jenny's death and being transferred to Cyber Crimes had driven him to depression. It had been too much on him and he had fled to New York, just like last time. He felt like such a coward.

Sighing he moved his chair back over to his typewriter. His muse was buzzing with excitement and if he didn't start writing soon he'd forget what he had to say.

The cigarettes that Edith had given him were sitting on the stack of completed papers next to his cell phone. McGee wondered how long he should wait before calling her. He didn't want to come off as desperate or creepy stalker like. Shaking his head slightly he decided he would figure all that out later. For now he would let his hyper active muse have some fun.

Standing up he made his way over to his record player and picked out one of the records that his mother had given him. McGee quickly set it up and Edith Piaf's 'Rien de Rien' flowed out of the speakers. He smiled as he went into the kitchen and filled a SOLO cup halfway with water before going back to his typewriter and settled down finally. It was time to introduce a new character to his story. He had vowed that he would never model his characters on anyone he knew or saw in passing anymore, but he decided to make an exception.

***

The sun was coming up and he sat back in his chair, cigarette hanging loosely from his lips as he reviewed what he had written, changing and adding things every now and again with a pencil.

He flicked that ashes into the cup of water which now had four water logged cigarette butts and tons of ash floating in it. He thought idly that he would have to get an ashtray if he was going to pick up his bad habit again.

"You've got mail!" his computer announced loudly.

McGee dropped his cigarette into the plastic cup listening to it hiss as he put down his papers and slid his chair over to his computers. He didn't expect Abby to respond so soon but he knew that she didn't sleep much so it wasn't that much of a surprise.

He wasn't expecting an e-mail from Ziva however.

'Shalom McGee, it has been far too long since we have last spoken. I hope that things at NCIS are well. Israel is just how it was when I left and despite missing my family I would much rather be at NCIS. I would gladly come back to work with you and Gibbs any day. Tony as well I suppose.

I hope things are working out well at Cyber Crimes, I know that you were very upset about being transferred there. Well I shall leave you, tell Abby, Gibbs, and Ducky I said hello. Take care McGee.'

-Ziva-

McGee decided to go ahead and answer instead of waiting until later that day.

'Hey Ziva, you're right it has been too long since we've talked. Um about things at NCIS…I'm actually not working there anymore. I hated being at Cyber Crimes so I quit and tried to transfer back to Gibbs' team but Vance wouldn't let me. I'm in New York City now; I decided to just focus on writing. Don't worry it isn't another Deep Six. I learned my lesson trust me.

I miss you too Ziva, hell I even miss Tony. It's weird how things turn out isn't it? The next time I talk to Abby I'll tell her you said hello and tell her to pass it along. Be safe Ziva.'

-McGee-