A/N: This is probably going to be the last chapter for at least a few days. I'm having some problems with 'creative stifling'

Chapter 4

"Hey Tony?"

"Yeah McGee?"

"Is my car still outside the bar?"

"Unless it's been impounded"

McGee sighed. That thought hadn't occurred to him. He picked up his coat

"Guess I'd better go find out. Thanks for everything, Tony"

"Hey, where do you think you're going? There's no way you're legal to drive after last night"

"Crap, you're right" he thought for a moment. Only one solution occurred to him

"Never thought I'd say this, but can you drive my car home?"

"Wait, you're actually going to let me drive your Porsche?" Tony sounded disbelieving, as well he might

McGee shrugged.

"Better you than Ziva"

They called a cab, taking it downtown to the bar. The bar was a regular hangout for law enforcement personnel; it maintained the Honour Wall for agents killed in the line of duty. The staff had recognised McGee and kept time on the meter for him so his Porsche wouldn't get towed. McGee thanked them and repaid the money they'd spent feeding the meter for him. Then he unlocked it and reluctantly let Tony slide in behind the wheel.

Surprisingly, Tony treated the high powered sports car with something bordering on respect. But then, it wasn't like this was one of the Agency pool cars. If Tony damaged his Porsche, McGee would probably shoot him.

McGee was silent on the trip back to his apartment, lost deep in thought. As he pulled the Porsche up in front of McGee's building, Tony turned to him

"Hangover getting to you, Probie?"

"Not really. Just thinking"

"That sounds serious"

"I really need to call Abby, don't know what to tell her"

"You'll figure this out, Probie"

McGee called another cab to take Tony home, paying the driver in advance. Before the cab left, he leaned in the window and asked

"Hey, how does getting a transfer work?"

"Transfer? You thinking of leaving us, Tim?"

"Just considering my options, Tony"

Tony gave him a measuring look as if trying to read his intentions. McGee kept his face carefully neutral

"You fill in the forms and send them up to the Director. Your team leader has to sign off on them, then it depends on where there's an opening"

McGee nodded. "Thanks for everything, Tony"

As the cab pulled away, Tony pulled out his cell phone and hit one of the speed dial buttons

"Yeah, Gibbs"

"Hey Boss, remember how the other day you asked me to tell you if things between Abby and McGee got any worse?"

"Well, yeah DiNozzo. What's your point?"

"Well Boss, I don't think they can get any worse. McGee got more than just a little drunk last night, he crashed on my couch, and just now when I was dropping him home he asked me about transferring"

"Transferring?"

"Yeah Boss, I think he was serious"

"Thanks for the heads up, Tony" the phone clicked in Tony's ear as Gibbs hung up

Gibbs stared at his cell phone for a long moment after he broke the connection. This had gone far enough; he'd tried to let these two work it out by themselves, but he'd be damned if he was going to let one of this agents leave without trying to stop it

He flipped open his phone and dialled a number from memory

"Gibbs here. I need a favour"

Later that night, when he was sure no one else would be around, McGee went into the office. With a heavy heart, he downloaded the forms necessary to apply for a transfer and emailed them to himself. He could have hacked into the NCIS computer system from home, but he didn't have the energy. Now he remembered why he didn't drink.

He still had to figure out what to tell Abby. He knew he owed her an apology, but he just didn't know what to say to her. Did he tell her the truth? He knew that she hated to be lied to. But then, telling her the truth was not going to be easy. It meant confessing the fact that he'd been in love with her for the past 6 years, and depending which way she took that knowledge meant either everything he'd ever dreamed of, or his worst nightmare.

Sighing, he got up from his desk and went home