SUMMARY: Sequel to "The SecDef Cheats." Lt. Col Cassidy moves in to NCIS and this will mean for Abby in the long run. McAbby, Drama/Romance/Angst
RATING: T - Adult subject matter, rare mild language, killer smooching.
A/N: After I noticed that I had passed 10 pages in Word, I knew I needed to split it up a little more. So, there will be one more very long chapter to close it out, so here's a little bit to tide you over until tomorrow.
REVIEWS: I am always trying to improve my writing, so all constructive criticism is welcome. I would also like to thank you in advance for any reviews you might wish to leave. They really are a great boon to a writer's ego and gives you a huge incentive to live up to your expectations.
Chapter 22
Tim stood up from his car and straightened his khaki's as he checked his hair in the side view mirror one last time before walking up to Abby's apartment. Lt. Col. Cassidy had told him it was casual, but he was fairly certain she did not intend for him to show up in a "Know Your Roots" Nintendo t-shirt and a pair of sweatshorts. Tim's wardrobe went straight from business casual to geek gutter in one easy step, so he figured he was likely to look out of place no matter what he wore, but at least in a polo shirt and khaki's he would not embarrass himself.
Taking the steps two at a time, Tim bounded up the stairs to Abby's place. He had been looking forward to the party all week, and it nearly killed him not to be able to say anything about it to Abby right away. But when she met him for lunch on Wednesday, it was all she could talk about and he was thrilled that she was so happy about going to the Colonel's. Tim would never admit it to anyone, but he was excited about the party because it was their very first invitation as a couple.
When he reached her door, he took a deep breath and then reached his hand out to knock on the door. Before his knuckles made contact with the wood, he felt a hand wrap around his wrist and he was jerked inside in a flash.
Abby screamed at him in a panicked voice, "WHAT TOOK YOU SO LONG?!"
Tim looked down at his watch, thinking that maybe he had lost track of time, but he found the time to be fine. "We're supposed to be there at 1800, it takes between thirty one and thirty seven minutes to get from your apartment to the Colonel's front door, depending on the lights and flow of traffic, and it is 16:45 right now, a full fifteen minutes ahead of the time I told you I would pick you up. Why ar-"
"Did I ask you for logical?" Abby turned him around and flailed her arms until Tim fell back onto the sofa as she continued to rant. "No, I was hysterical and the very definition hysterical means that I am not making any sense, so shut up and tell me what to wear."
That was when McGee suddenly realized that Abby was standing there in her "Creepy Susie" t-shirt, and nothing else. "Um, well, I know the Colonel said it was casual, but I think this look might be taking it a little too far."
Abby's response was to throw a magazine at his head. "That is not helping, McGee." She took the two steps forward to close her distance with the couch and then stepped onto it, with her feet on either side of Tim's hips. She sat down on his knees, with her legs straddling him and then grasped his face between her hands as she brought her forehead down to lean against his. "I don't know what to wear to a normal person party. I need serious help, Timmy."
With his torso pinned between her knees and desperately trying not to move his hands Tim squeezed his eyes shut and spoke through clenched teeth. "Then you need to get up, because right now, this is working good for me."
Abby instantly sat back and looked down at herself and Tim and then suddenly realized what she had done. "TIM!" She jumped up from the couch and Tim breathed a heaving sigh of relief.
Two more seconds like that and the worst of his wardrobe would not have been his biggest embarrassment. He tried to take a few calming breaths, but Abby obviously had other plans as she grabbed at both of his hands and yanked him up off of the couch and into her arms. With her arms around his neck she kissed him sweetly in the lips and then said, "Maybe later." Whether it was his red hair and fair complexion, or the unbelievably suggestive tone in Abby's voice, but Tim was completely unable to stop the burning blush that rose to his cheeks. She leaned her head forward to rest it against his forehead when she asked, "What should I wear to the party?"
Tim finally felt comfortable enough to pull his arms around her back and held her for a moment before he said, "Honestly Abby…You can wear whatever you want. I think the Colonel knows that if she invites you to a party, she's going to get the same you she sees everyday."
"You're so smart. I knew it was a good idea to pick you." Abby squeezed him a little tighter for having finally made her feel better about the whole thing. As she squeezed she realized that he had on a polo shirt, and that was when the idea hit her. "I have the perfect outfit! I could totally do naughty school girl to go with your über preppy!" Before anything else could be said she had vanished into the bedroom.
While Tim would normally complain about being called a preppy, he was completely distracted by the whole notion of the naughty school girl. He knew that no one really understood the attraction between him and Abby, because they were just so different on the outside, but their outward differences only made the deeper things they shared that much more special.
He did not have much time to contemplate on their relationship before he heard the door to her bedroom open and Abby asked, "What time is it? Are we gonna be late, or do we have time to pick something up on the way there?"
Tim brought his watch up and looked to see the time when he answered, "Ah, it is now five after, so we could be cutting it close for getting there on time. What did you want to get?"
She was still in her room and simply hollered down the hall to say, "Oh, I wanted to stop by the liquor store to get some b-"
"I grabbed a couple six packs on my way here… They're sitting in the cooler in the trunk of my car." Tim had made that choice on his way there because he knew that neither he, nor Abby would want to show up empty handed. Unconsciously, he turned towards the location of his car, even though he would not be able to see it. "And yesterday I noticed this gift-basket shop next door to Gibb's coffee shop, so I stopped in there to see what they had. They said they could do anything and asked about the person I was buying it for, and then they'd call me when it was ready. It's got fruit and those protein bars she eats and some trail mix and th-" Time was stopped cold as he turned back around to find Abby standing in front of him. "Whoa…"
"Oh good… That's the look I was going for."