As the months passed, I fell hopelessly in love with Tim McGee. It felt like something I had only read about in books. He was the sweetest, gentlest geek I had ever met. And, to make things even better, he was all mine. We spent every hour that we weren't at work together. I grew close to the people he worked with.
Ziva and I became best friends, always gossiping about the latest celebrity news and clothing. Tony was like the older brother I'd always dreamed of having. Will had been like a twin to me, but Tony was annoying, irritating, aggravating, and loveable. Ducky was like a grandfather, always watching over us all and giving little bits of advice where he thought they were needed. Abby, who at first had viewed me with slight hostility because I spent so much time with Tim, eventually came around. She knew, as did I, that McGee and I were meant to be together forever, as cliché and dorky as it sounded. Gibbs was always there, supervising us all to make sure we stayed in line. I knew he was someone I could trust with my life—someone I could always count on to be there with me. And of course, always watching from above was that mysterious, silent NCIS Director Vance, who never said anything to me at all.
Through Will's death, I had lost one family and gained a whole 'nother one. They loved me and accepted me just the way I was—no questions asked. I knew they could see it too. See that Tim and I were perfect for each other in every way.
McGee had never been happier in his life, not even when his book had become a bestseller. Elle was everything he'd ever dreamed of and prayed for. His family loved her and made her feel welcome, but Tim had never been so amazed as he was by the response he got from his NCIS team. Without his asking, they made Elle a part of their circle of friends. Ziva asked her to go shopping with her and Tony loaned her movies from his precious collection. Ducky told her all the stories that the rest of them had heard dozens of times before and Elle was an attentive listener. Even Abby took a liking to McGee's new girlfriend, despite the initial jealously that had sprung up on her side.
Tim knew that he was in love—not a fleeting, momentary love, but real, genuine love. It was a sensation like nothing he'd ever felt before. He hadn't had to ask anyone or Google it—this was right. Elle was the girl for him.
Gibbs could see it—the love that engulfed his geekiest team member. Not only had he gotten a beautiful young woman, but he'd also grown as a person. His confidence in himself had increased and more and more often, he teased Tony back. Gibbs had been around Elle and talked to her enough to know that she returned the feelings wholeheartedly. She was a sweet girl and Leroy could tell that she and McGee deserved each other. Gibbs didn't say much to his team about her, but he made room in his heart for the poor girl who had no family except for them.
Tony was still a little jealous of McGee, but he had quickly realized that Elle was perfect for Tim and not for anyone else. They complimented each other and predicted each other's movements and words. Elle had become sort of like Tony's little sister—someone he could pick on and harass, but who would always do anything she could for him. She discussed the latest movies with him and was almost as good at quoting them as he was. He liked her. He liked her a lot, but someone else caught his eye as well. She was someone close to him—someone who never seemed to realize just how much he cared.
Ziva had no trouble excepting McGee's new girlfriend, Elle. In fact, she welcomed another female in the small group of friends. Elle was easy to get along and even though Ziva was a trained assassin and Elle was a writer/Hourly Manager at Barnes and Noble, they discussed everything girly. It was nice for Ziva to have someone to relate with. Sometimes she grew lonely, being the only girl on the actual team. Although she and Abby got along, they were not overly close. Elle and Ziva had been shopping together several times and out to lunch a few times over the months. Overall, Ziva was glad to have Elle for a friend.
At first, Abby hadn't liked the fact that Timmy had a new girlfriend, but the more she was around Elle and the more she saw how happy McGee was, the easier it got for her. It wasn't like Abby still had romantic feelings for her old boyfriend, but she still didn't care to see him with another woman at first. Over the months, though, Abby grew to like Elle. She wasn't as close to McGee's girlfriend as Ziva was, but they were still friends.
Ducky watched from afar, not for one second failing to see that McGee had grown braver in his ventures to autopsy. He seemed more grown up to Ducky, and not nearly like the nerdy young boy he had been for the seven years that Ducky had known him. It was a welcome sight to know that true love still existed.