Tim was halfway to NCIS Headquarters when his cell phone started ringing. He flipped it open, without taking his eyes off the road.

"Hello??"

"Tim? It's me, Elliot. I know we just met last night, but I was wondering if maybe you'd like to have coffee. I know, this is really short notice, and I'll totally understand if you say no, but I just thought I'd–"

He had to jump in quickly, otherwise Elliot would keep talking until she had to take a breath."I'd love to. Where would you like to meet?"

"Do you know where Sacred Heart is? We have a coffeeshop in the lobby.."

Sacred Heart was only a slight detour from his normal route to NCIS. In fact, he was almost there already. Tim nodded, though she couldn't see it. "Yeah. One of your nurses witnessed a murder, helped us get the guy who did it."

"Really? Who was it? Doris? Laverne? Tabitha, with the lazy eye?"

Tim parked the car with a laugh. "No. Her name was Carla." He was greeted by dead silence on the other end of the line. "Elliot?"

"Carla??"

"Yeah, Carla." He paused briefly. "I take it you know her.."

"Know her? She got the pen from the ass box, that Carla! I can't believe she didn't tell me!"

"Really?" He hadn't made the connection last night, which just goes to show how out of it he was. He mused that it really was a small world after all, wondering who else they both knew.

"Yeah, that Carla. Carla talks about everything..."

"Well, I'm here, and...never mind." Tim flipped his cell closed after nearly running into Elliot in the hallway. "Hey.."

She grinned back at him. "You'll have to tell me more about Carla and your investigation over coffee. You're buying, too."

Tim shook his head, amused. "You're the doctor, shouldn't you pay?"

In response, Elliot wagged her finger at him. "When I write my first bestselling novel, I'll pay, promise." Tim blinked, wracking his brain to remember when he'd mentioned that last night. He was certain he hadn't. The confused look on his face made her giggle.

"You didn't tell me, I found out on my own. It's amazing what the Internet can tell you about strangers you pick up a bar, Mr. Gemcity."

Tim couldn't hide the fact he was impressed, and it showed on his face. "Very good detective work. Perhaps you should have been an investigator, though I imagine that might have been hard given the long line of doctors you come from." Now, it was Tim's turn to be amused.

"I see I'm not the only one who knows how to use the Internet."

Tim shrugged. "It's what I do.."

"So, is the book really based on your job?"

"Sort of...it is loosely based on people I work with." He paused, a confused look on his face. "You've read it?"

"Well, yeah..I read it shortly after it first came out, but I never thought I'd get to meet the author. On the way back to my apartment last night, I thought about how ironic it was I'd meet an NCIS agent after reading the book, between that and the stories you told me, I had a sneaking suspicion." By this time, they'd made it to the front of the line, and Elliot ordered first. "I'll have a black coffee."

Tim nodded. "Make that two." After receiving their drinks, Tim paid the barista, and they sat down at one of the side tables.

"Oh my gosh...Tony is Tommy, isn't he?"

Tim nodded, with a sigh..

"Has he read the book?"

Another sigh. "Yes, he has.. They all have actually.."

"How did they take it? Are they pissed?"

"No, but I will be sure to ask next time." He managed a smile, remembering what Gibbs had told him.

"Why Elliot, who's your new friend?"

She turned around, an awkward look on her face. "Dad, what brings you here?"

Simon Reid looked at Tim, and then back at Elliot. "Can't a father stop by to see his daughter unannounced?"

She nodded. "Of course he can..it's good to see you."

It was obvious to Tim that she wasn't exceptionally happy to see her father, but he said nothing.

"Don't be rude, Elliot, introduce me to your new friend."

She smiled stiffly, before reaching across the table and taking Tim's hand. "This is my boyfriend, Tim. He works for NCIS as an investigator."

Simon paused, considering this a moment. "NCIS?"

Tim was used to the confusion, answering easily. "Naval Criminal Investigative Services. We investigate crimes involving members of the Navy or Marine Corps.."

"So you're military?"

"Actually no." Tim was very aware of Elliot's death grip on his hand. "NCIS is a civilian organization."

"I see.." Thankfully, the awkward silence was broken by Tim's cell phone going off.

"Excuse me.." Leaving Elliot and her father to talk, he walked back out in the hallway, answering the phone. "Hello?"

"Where are you, McGeek?" Tony's irritation was obvious.

"Getting coffee.." which wasn't a lie, just an omission of some of the facts.

"Well, get your ass back here. We're waiting on you."

Tim winced. "I'll be there in ten minutes..."

"Where are you getting coffee, the next state? Make it five, Gibbs is -not- happy." Before McGee could answer, Tony hung up.

Tim walked back over to where Elliot and her father were still talking. "I'm sorry, but I have to get to work. Something's come up.."

Elliot smiled. "That's ok. I'll talk to you later." Lifting his coffee cup, she handed it to him. "Don't forget your coffee."

Without meaning to, Tim smiled. "Thanks, Elliot. Goodbye, Dr. Reid."

He nodded, and Tim was out the door. It wasn't until he'd made it back to his car, put the coffee in his drink holder and pulled out of the Sacred Heart parking lot that he realized what he'd gotten himself into. "What a cliche," he muttered to himself. Now, the question was, what now?

Tags: 15songtitles, probies, tim/elliot