Tim huffed in frustration at his reflection. What had seemed like a great idea suddenly depressed him. He ran his hands through his hair and sighed. Maybe he just wasn't cut out for this sort of stuff.

He turned to his sister hopefully

'Do you think I look sexy?'

Sarah burst out laughing as she stared at her brother standing before his bathroom mirror in boxer shorts, his favourite battered MIT t-shirt and socks.

"You are kidding right?'

Tim frowned again and sunk a little deeper into his depression.

"You know I don't think I will go tonight, everyone's going to be super cool and stunning and I look like …..well me."

Sarah smiled "Hey its not that you're ugly or anything Tim. I didn't mean it like that. I mean you're my dorky big brother and I just don't think of you like that."

Tim nodded acknowledging the truth of what she said. It was hard for him to be impartial regarding his sister either. Although he knew she was pretty enough that he wanted to keep her as far away from Tony as he possibly could. Or lock her in a nunnery.

Sarah tried to lighten the mood as she perched on her brother's bed with books strewn about in piles.

"So what are you going to tonight that's got you all worried?"

"You know Abby? Well she invited me and a ….friend to a fancy dress party tonight. She wants the three of us to go as a group of leather clad vampires. Now you've seen Abby?"

Sarah nodded "Yup legs up to here, tatts, dog collar. Wow she's going to look stunning"

Tim sighed "I know. And my friend….well he's even worse."

"Worse?"

"More gorgeous"

"Really? Like how gorgeous?"

Tim thought carefully "You know those Calvin Klein cologne ads for men? Those models shot in black and white with the sculpted abs and full lips wearing just a pair of jeans or whatever?"

"Oh yeah." Sarah grinned

"He's like that. But better."

"Oh" Sarah could suddenly see the reason for her brother's indecision.

"Well I mean you shouldn't miss out on what's going to be a great party. They invited you and they want you to be there so you should definitely go. I mean I could help you if you like? You know do something a bit wild with your hair?"

Tim's eyes brightened considerably.

"Do you think you could make me look dangerous?"

Sarah chewed her lip and studied her brother and Tim sighed again as she didn't respond.

'Sorry Tim. I don't think anyone could make you look dangerous. But I could help make you look a bit mysterious? You know never really quite sure what you're going to do."

Tim considered this for a moment attempting to look wild and interesting as he studied himself in the mirror.

"Ok Mysterious. I can live with that"

Sarah grinned "Ok cool! But you're going to have to come back to my dorm so I can get some stuff. And I think we should upgrade your outfit a bit too. Stop in at this great place I know on the way."

Tim suddenly realised he had handed his appearance over to his baby sister. And he turned and looked at her nervously.

'What sort of stuff?"

"Oh you know gel, mousse, eyeliner…"

"Eyeliner??" Tim started to feel panicked.

"Oh don't worry Tim. Its fancy dress and you want to look a little different don't you? Mysterious vampire with crazy powers and all that? Look trust me"

Tim bit his lip considered his rather average looking reflection and sighed knowing his fate was sealed.

"Alright. Lets do it"

*****************************************************************

Tony let out a low whistle as Abby appeared off the elevator and sauntered towards his desk.

"Holy cow Abby! That is some outfit. You are going to clean up at this party tonight."

"Thanks Tony"

Abby grinned as she perched on the edge of Tony's desk wearing a skin tight scarlet red lace up shiny PVC corset over a tiny black leather mini skirt with cuts up the sides to reveal even more of her legs. Completing the outfit was a pair of battered black fishnets stockings and knee high lace up black leather boots with a thick chunky sole. With her hair down and brushed until it gleamed and scarlet red lipstick she looked literally dressed to kill. With her already pale skin and a pair of fangs peeping out when she smiled it was obvious that she was going dressed as a vampire. Nestling just between her pale pushed up breasts was the crucifix that Tony had given her as a gift when he returned from the security conference in Germany.

Tony smiled at it pleased that she still wore it.

Abby noticed and smiled back "I was going for a bit of irony with it you know? By the way Tony I would have invited you to the party too……but I think Ziva has plans for you tonight"

Tony perked up "Really? Like what?"

Abby looked thoughtful "I don't actually know the details ...her dreams kept changing but I'm pretty sure you will enjoy it"

Abby grinned at him and Tony twisted uncomfortably in his seat.

"She didn't mention anything to me?"

Abby just gave him an exasperated look "Well duh it's supposed to be a surprise?"

Tony frowned at Abby not sure if he should start a conversation questioning the 'surprise' when she had already told him but then the elevator dinged again and they both turned to see who stepped off.

"McGee?" They both asked in surprise their eyes widening.

Abby had never really considered what McGee would look like in leather but this was way beyond her expectations. Tony's jaw dropped and he actually stood up from his desk to get a better look.

The mild mannered sweet Timothy McGee was gone completely leaving someone else in his place completely.

He was wearing soft worn black leather pants that fit like a second skin and showed off his long legs. The pants were belted with a silver studded black leather belt. He had chunky black leather boots on with plenty of metal buckles that came up to mid calf and seemed to add an extra couple of inches to his height.

The faded black leather jacket he wore was an old motorbike rider's jacket. It was slightly padded increasing the breadth of his already broad shoulders and wrapped in tight around his trim waist. The jacket was worked with thick double reinforced stitching giving it shape and movement of its own. Across the top of the shoulders there were several small silver metal studs worked into the leather. The jacket was zipped half way up with a button up flap that reached across to secure to the other side to keep out inclement weather. The flap was folded partway back creating a sort of collar and revealing a section of pale bare chest which showed that Tim wasn't wearing anything under the jacket.

Thickly climbing up from where his collar bone became visible from beneath the edge of the jacket and working its way around and up one side of his neck before getting smaller and disappearing into his hairline was an intricate tattoo.

The tattoo was completely black and made up of increasingly smaller interwoven geometric curved slicing blades and scrolls that reminded Abby of a cross between the artwork of the Celts and the warrior tattoos of the Pacific Islanders.

But even that wasn't what had the two of them staring in amazement at their friend.

It was his eyes.

His eyes always rather large in his face now seemed to consume it. Completely edged in thick sooty smudged black eyeliner and surrounded by long thick curled mascara thick lashes his green eyes seemed to draw their gaze.

His silky hair was full of gel and mousse and stood in soft hazardous spikes adding even more to the illusion of height and danger. Every inch of exposed skin that they could see was overly pale only adding to the effect of the intensity of the black leather and makeup. Two sharp white fangs protruded against his full bottom lip.

Tim licked his full sheer glossed lips and twitched his hands with their black polished finger nails and studied his friends nervously.

"Well? What do you think?"

"Wow" That was all Abby could come up with as she studied her friend and tried to take in all the little details.

"Yeah. Wow" Tony was a little flabbergasted as he trailed around McGee studying him from different angles. There was diving eagle with outstretched claws stitched into the back of the jacket. And damn those pants seemed tight.

Tim breathed out a sigh of relief. Then frowned.

"Is that like Wow …great? Or Wow …as in that's so bad I don't have the words?"

"Oh Timmy! How could you doubt that it was Wow as in you look so amazing that we don't know what to say. Oh my god we are so going to WIN the costume prize. I mean seriously. You look fantastic and Dante is going to flip!"

Abby threw herself into Tim arms in her excitement and Tim grinned happily.

"Oh well that's good. I kind of asked Sarah for some help and she took me back to her dorm. Her room mate does graphic design and started doodling with some pen then she brought out this ink….. Then she invites more girlfriends over and they pull out goo for my hair and some sort of sparkle powder. It got a bit out of control and the next thing you know there are like seven girls painting my nails and yelling at me to stop blinking when they come at me with eyelash curlers."

Tony blanched in sympathy before smiling at Tim.

"I got to say McGee. You look like a cross between Mad Max, (although more like the young first Mad Max than the post apocalyptic Tina Turner Mad Max Three version) and My Chemical Romance with all the eye make up and leather. Sort of a dangerous Road Warrior…. only Emo"

"Thanks Tony" Tim replied sarcastically but he was too happy with the way Abby was obviously delighted with his outfit to really care. AND Tony had called him dangerous. Perhaps this night was going to be great after all.

Abby just shook her head and licked her lips.

"I am loving that tattoo McGee……you just want to see where it goes and peek down further …maybe slide that jacket off….."

Tim smirked "I gather that was the idea. Well shall we go? You look amazing too by the way Abby. I'm glad Dante will be with us to keep the ravaging hordes off you and keep you safe."

Abby preened for a minute and then at the mention of Dante name she looked around for her other guest.

"Where is Dante by the way?"

Tim shuffled his feet a little embarrassed.

"Well he is going to meet us there. If he's going to spend a night being scrutinized by humans he wanted to make sure he was able to…hunt first. It makes him seem more human afterwards. Not so pale or cold"

"Oh" Abby considered this for a moment.

"Well I suppose it makes sense. The humans are trying to look less human and the vampire is trying to look more human. We should meet in the middle."

Abby finished enthusiastically before grabbing Tim's arm and starting to tow him to the elevator.

"Ok bye Tony have a good night! Now McGee I want to get there early to scope out the competition. The judging isn't done until late in the evening so the costumes have to stand up to a hard nights partying and I think that's where we will do well……"

Tim managed to waive farewell to a grinning Tony over Abby's shoulder before the elevator doors shut.