Kort placed his hand over hers and traced the fine blue lines of her veins before turning her hand over and tracing the creases on her palm.

There had been a certain charge in the air for the past year or so at their meetings and she had made sure he knew that things would not progress the way he obviously wished them too. At least, she thought she had made sure. It was clear there had been a mix up in the communication somewhere.

"Trent, we have been over this," she told him softly.

She valued his friendship – even if at times he did make a pretty questionable human being – and she wasn't the type who could sleep with a friend and then just go back to the way things had been before. She knew she wouldn't be able to do it and she would not risk what they had for an on-again-of-again friendly fling.

He looked up at her and met her eyes. A smile creased the corners of his own and she couldn't help but smile back.

"You can't honestly say you haven't thought about it?"

No, she couldn't say that. She had thought about it. She was only human after all. But she had quickly stopped any line of thoughts that strayed that way. Well…maybe she had indulged in more than one little daydream but she refused to let them go further than day dreams. She had no intention of having a 'Mr and Mrs Smith' style relationship. Ever.

"We would be…good," he spoke softly.

Oh, she knew that and she couldn't stop the slight blush from coming to her face. After all the years she had known him – and Tony – and all the things she had seen with her work she couldn't believe that she still lit up like a Christmas tree when it came to certain things. Why couldn't she be more like Ziva? The woman traded innuendos with Tony like it was nothing. Perhaps as the woman knew so many languages 'innuendo' was just viewed as another one.

"I know we would, but do you know how I stop myself," she whispered back, leaning forward slightly. She may blush up brighter than a fire engine but she had learned a thing or two from observation and she wasn't above playing dirty.

He leaned in towards her to meet her halfway above the table.

She leaned in close to his ear and heard his breath coming in a quick gasp.

"Corpses," she whispered into his ear.

He sat back and only laughed.

"Cools me down quicker than an ice-bath. Or a certain someone-we-both-know's car going sky high," she reached for her wine glass and took a sip, it was good, "That works too,"

This got no reaction other than a sigh from the CIA agent and he reached for his own wine.

"Are you ever going to let that go?" he asked before taking an appreciative sip from his own glass.

"No," she smiled.

"Ah, Tim, you wound me,"

"You'll get over it,"

He placed his glass back on the table and swept up the hand she wasn't using to play with the stem of her glass.

He raised it to his lips and pressed a kiss to the palm.

"Never," he whispered.

The team watched in wide mouthed shock, each of them trying to understand just what they were seeing. Even Gibbs was surprised by what he was witnessing.

Trent Kort, evil CIA agent and possible blower-upper of NCIS agents was propositioning Tim. Their Tim. And by the sounds of things this was not the first time he had done so. And Tim had said no. Again, something that seemed to be a repeat of a previous meeting between them.

Just how long had these dinner dates been going on between the two of them?

And why hadn't they known about it?

Surely this couldn't have been going on until after the case Tim had alluded to. She was an open book when it came to her feelings, they would have noticed if there was some previous connection between their probie and Kort.

"I need to bleach my brain," Tony whispered into the darkness of the van.

Ziva slapped him over the back of the head.

"Ouch, Ziva, what was that for?" he moaned, rubbing at his head.

"Is it so unbelievable that someone would fine Tim desirable?"

"What?" Tony shot out in surprise, "No of course not. It's just…Kort. I mean, she can do so much better,"

"Mmhmm," Ziva made the noncommittal noise and went back to concentrating on the noises coming from the microphones they had planted and the screens of the security cameras they had fed into.

Tony meanwhile continued to speak.

"I mean where did we go wrong? What did we miss? They seem to be pretty cosy in there? Don't you think, boss?"

Gibbs remained quiet. Lost in his own thoughts and eventually realising that no reply would be forthcoming Tony too fell quiet and began to rummage through the bag of burgers they had picked up before settling into the surveillance van.

They watched as Tim and the enemy exchanged small talk – Tony's eyes glazing over when Tm began to talk about some new computer programme she was working on – and ate their dinner.

It wasn't until the main course had been cleared away that all of them perked up.

"Now, Miss McGee, down to business," Kort spoke.

"Indeed, Mr Kort,"

The exchange between them was so practiced and light it made all of them feel uncomfortable.

Uncomfortable because well…Kort! And slightly guilty as they finally began to feel like they were invading their team-mates privacy by listening in like this.

"On behalf of the CIA I thank you for accepting this invitation to meet with me,"

They could see a grainy smile come to Tim's face as she raised her glass slightly to Kort and took a drink.

"I again repeat the offer that my agency has made on several occasions with the permission of both our Directors, and ask you to consider accepting a post, this time as head of our Cyber unit. We find that your skills and knowledge would be a great asset to the agency," they watched him reach into his inner breast coat pocket and draw out a piece of paper, "Your starting salary," he explained as it was placed in front of McGee, "Subject of course to increase after certain yearly milestones and overtime,"

As if she had all the time in the world they watched Tim lift the flap of the folded piece of paper and take a peak.

They couldn't see what it said but by the smile on Kort's face they could only guess what the number was.

The sound of Tim clearing her throat came to them load and clear.

"I would like to thank the CIA once again for their interest in me and their extremely generous offer. And I regret that I find I must again decline," Tim gave what sounded like a very practised answer and Kort sighed.

"Will you say yes one day?" he asked, taking back the piece of paper and slipping it into the pocket it had come from.

"Perhaps,"

Ziva and Tony gasped in horror, she couldn't leave them.

Gibbs meanwhile accepted what she said. He knew that Tim was very well respected in certain circles - he hadn't realised just how much until now – and that while her skill set was greatly appreciated and needed in his team her potential was wasted at NCIS…

"Well, now that is out the way, how about desert?" Trent's arm went up as he waved for a menu.

"Desert would be lovely," came Tim's soft reply.

Tada!

This was going to be the last of the Tim/Korts but then I just couldn't stop. So there is one more to come which is more of an alternative to this than a connection.

I really hope you enjoyed this.

Please let me know what you think.

Take care everyone.

:)