A/N: This story really won't leave me alone. So here's another chapter for you. More to follow! F.

McGee's steps dragged as he slowly walked towards his apartment. After a combination of three hours sleep and a full day at work, he was more than just tired. All he wanted to do was go home and collapse. Luckily their case had wrapped up quickly, thanks to Abby's DNA match, and Gibbs had sent them all home as soon as they'd finished their reports.

Abby. The Goth forensic scientist was never far from his thoughts at any time, and after their conversation at lunch he'd barely been able to think of anything else. He still didn't really know why he'd effectively propositioned his best friend, except that all of sudden he'd been so sick of waiting and hoping for her to change her mind about only wanting his friendship. Luckily she didn't seem to be angry about it; she'd come and stood next to him in Observation this afternoon, and he'd caught her watching him. She'd looked concerned, but not angry or annoyed, for which he was thankful. As soon as he'd said it, he'd started to worry that he might have just have destroyed their friendship.

He unlocked his front door, letting his pack slide off his shoulder onto the floor. He'd deal with it in the morning, but for now it could stay there. He shed his suit jacket and draped it over the back of the couch. It could stay there too. Right now all he wanted was a hot shower and about a week's worth of sleep. He decided he was too tired to bother about getting dinner; he wasn't really hungry anyway.

He was standing under the stream of hot water when it occurred to him that that was what he'd been doing when Abby had turned up on his doorstep. Had it really only been yesterday? Actually, he corrected himself mentally; it was still the same day. It had been a truly strange day. He turned the water off, drying off and pulling on the old baggy MIT tee and boxers he used as pyjamas. He stumbled into the bedroom, climbing gratefully into bed. His last conscious thought was that he wished Abby was there to tuck him in again.

...

The sound of knocking jerked him out of a sound sleep. Groggily, he raised his head off the pillow, unsure of where it was coming from for a moment. Whoever it was knocked again; he thought for a split second about ignoring it and going back to sleep, but then the knocking became more insistent. Groaning, he hauled himself out of the bed and walked down the hallway. Not bothering to check who it was, he wrenched the door open, and then leant on the edge of it in his surprise.

"Hi" she said, sounding slightly out of breath

"Hi" he replied softly

"Can I come in?" He stood aside so she could enter, not quite sure if it was a good idea or not. She walked straight past him and into his living room, pacing restlessly up and down the length of the room. He followed her, leaning one shoulder against the wall.

"Abs, why are you here?"

"I was at home and I was trying to relax but I couldn't because I kept thinking so I went for a drive, I don't really know where and" she paused

Amused, he watched her pace and ramble. He loved it when she did this; it was like her thoughts were coming too quickly to internalise them, so she just said exactly what she was thinking

"And then I realised that every turn I made was bringing me here. I was gonna leave, but..." she stopped, a torn look on her face

"But?" he prompted. She didn't appear to hear him, stopping her restless moving and coming to stand right in front of him

"Tim, did you mean it? What you said this afternoon?"

That's what had made her so agitated? He wasn't sure if that was a good or a bad thing. His first instinct was to dissemble, tell her he was kidding. But the same reckless impulse he'd felt in the cafe seized him. He was done hiding from her. So instead of concealing it behind his usual rigid self control, he let the love and desire he felt for this woman show on his face. Looking straight into her wary green eyes, he replied

"Every word, Abs"