Yay another chapter! Please review it really makes me happy and it makes me want to continue on so if you like the story and don't want to see it die then you'll review please.
2 months, 19 days, 4 hours, 22 minutes
McGee's old apartment hadn't been rented out to anyone else yet. Her key still unlocked the door. It was still as barren as it had been two weeks ago, but walking around Tim's tiny apartment, that now seemed huge without all the clutter, helped to calm her down.
It was like she could pretend that she was just waiting for him to get home, even though he didn't have anything to come home to. Slowly she walked into walked into his dark bedroom and a memory suddenly slammed into her. It had been when they were still dating and they were watching 'Evil Dead' at her request. They lay on the bed, Abby using him as a pillow and as he held her she felt had felt so safe.
She stood in the darkness, holding onto the memory before flicking on the lights. For a second everything was in its place, even him, but in the blink of an eye it was all gone. Abby moved to lean against the wall next to the door and sighed heavily.
She knew she had to focus on the silver lining about the shitty situation she felt like she was drowning in. Tim had contacted her and apologized for ignoring her, he was alive and well, Tony had been able to e-mail her over the past few days, and most of all Gibbs had promised to bring them all home.
Even as she focused on her positive thoughts, her negative ones still seemed to slip through the cracks.
"Unfortunately he hasn't told you a whole lot about himself at all" she remembered Sarah saying to her. What hadn't he told her? Was it something he should have? Then there was the horrible thought that Gibbs might not be able to bring them all home.
Abby leaned her head back against the wall and scanned her eyes over the empty room. The not so empty room actually. Lying on the floor where not too long ago McGee's dresser had sat was a photo. She ran to pick it up and bit her lip as she saw what picture it was.
She remembered the day clearly. It had been a slow day and she had been having trouble with one of her computers. Naturally she called McGee to investigate and fix the problem. He had taken off his jacket and rolled up his sleeves like he was a mechanic ready to work on a beautiful classic car. Abby had offered to help him but he insisted he didn't need any. In half an hour as Abby watched him intently as he worked on one of her babies, he had fixed the problem and had it running better than when she had gotten it.
Abby had thrown her arm around his shoulder and had snapped the picture after he had finished. The next day she had placed the photo on his desk before he had gotten to work with a note written on the back. 'Thanks Timmy, you're the best!' Love, Abby'
Had he forgotten it in the rush to pack his things? Did he leave it there on purpose?
She ran the tip of her finger over his face and she felt herself begin to tear up. Abby refused to cry again, crying never solved anything. Shoving the picture in her purse she quickly left the apartment.
2 months, 18 days, 15 hours, 17 minutes
His eyes shot open, pupils constricting to pin points as the afternoon sun blinded him. "Shit," he mumbled as he sat up and wiped at the sweat on his face. Throwing off the covers he got up and headed into the bathroom. He hadn't seen Kate or Jenny, just his mother. McGee was seeing her in his dreams more frequently and as he turned on the shower he couldn't help but wonder if coming to New York had been such a good idea.
He shook his head and mumbled to himself 'Get a fucking grip McGee.' Stripping off his boxers he got under the lukewarm spray and tried to wash away his past, if only for a little while. It didn't take him long to shower and as toweled himself off he wondered idly why women took such long showers. McGee shrugged, resigned to the fact that he would probably never know the answer.
As he was pulling on his jeans he heard his cell begin to ring. Walking into the living room he saw that Sarah was calling.
"What?" he answered.
"Well hello to you too," Sarah said her voice thick with sarcasm.
"Smart ass," Tim mumbled.
"You talk to Abby yet?"
"Sent her an e-mail this morning," Tim said. "I'm fine by the way."
"Now who's being a smartass?" Sarah shot back.
He rolled his eyes before looking down at the pack of cigarettes still on his desk.
"Don't roll your eyes at me," Sarah said firmly.
Tim paused in his movements for a moment and quirked an eyebrow, "Who said I was rolling my eyes?"
"Good guess," she said innocently.
"I'm sure," Tim said as he lit a cigarette, making sure to hold the phone away as he did so.
"Oh my God, Timothy Louis McGee, I can't believe you're smoking again!" Sarah yelled.
"You have cameras in my damn apartment don't you," McGee said as he looked around suspiciously.
"I know that click, you spent 5 years smoking and you don't think I know when you're lighting a cigarette?" Sarah asked.
"Ever think I could be lighting incense or a candle?" he asked, not even bothering to deny her allegations.
Incense makes you sick and you hate smelly candles," she said smugly.
"Good point," Tim said as he blew out the smoke invading his lungs.
"I can't believe you're being so stupid," Sarah said angrily.
"I'm not being stupid Sarah, I know what I'm doing," he countered.
"Yea you're getting lung cancer, way to go smart guy, how do you think Abby's gonna feel when she finds out about this?" Sarah asked demandingly.
"Shut up Sarah, god damn," he said exasperated as he hung up on her.
He shoved the phone in his pocket before sitting down at his desk. McGee knew he shouldn't have hung up on her like that but he didn't feel like listening to her bitching at the moment. But she had hung up on him more times than he could remember so he figured she had it coming.
It was getting close to 3:30 and he decided it was late enough in the day. Digging his phone back out of his pocket he called the one person he wanted to talk to.
Oh I wonder who McGee's gonna call. Is it Abby? Well you'll just have to wait won't you. Reviews make me post new chapters faster.
