Chapter 12

A week went by without any big cases. They where all happy to hear that Tim was released from the hospital. Abby had set up a schedule for every volunteer to visit Tim and help him with cooking, cleaning or showering. But to be honest, Tim only felt comfortable showering when Abby was there, so she came a few extra times a week. But she didn't mind at all.

McGee was wondering when exactly Abby had turned in to a mother figure, she was doing his laundry, walking Jethro and made sure he ate enough vitamins. She was always a very caring person, but this was a little over the top.

After a few days she didn't even bother to go home anymore. She took over more than half his closet and his bathroom cabinet. Since McGee did not have many rooms in his house she slept in his bed.

Tim was wondering where this relationship was going. It felt natural to hold her hand while he slept, her scent was his oxygen. No longer able to resist her he worked out a plan.

In order to make his plan work, he needed some help. It was time to call in another favor from Tony, because if there was someone able to help him, it was DiNozzo. He called Tony and made it sound so dramatic, Tony came flying over.

"What do you need McGee?" He said, bracing himself for the worst when he entered Tim's apartment.

"I need to go on a date" McGee said.

Tony looked at him like he was an idiot. "Are you sure, probie? You won't get laid with that," he said pointing to McGee's broken ribs and foot.

"I want to go on a date with Abby," McGee explained. "I want to give our relationship another go, so does she. And I need a perfect romantic date. Here in my house."

Tony laughed like he heard the best joke ever.

"This is nowhere near romantic probie," he said, "I will get the afternoon off from Gibbs and then I will fix something at my apartment."

He turned around to leave. Before he went out the door he looked back at McGee in his bed. "I will get you at six. Wear something nice. You will get the bill later."

Abby called him a little later that day. She also had a webcam feed from his place in her lab and she also had a microphone planted. But sometimes she just wanted to call him, see if he was alright. Once he didn't answer his phone and Abby came running in with Ziva and Tony, just to see if he was alright. So to avoid that kind of situation, he just picked up the phone when she called him.

"Tim," he answered his phone. Abby started asking all kinds of questions, and he answered them all patiently.

"Listen Abs, I need you to come home early tonight. Can you do that?"

"Of course, Timmy!" She answered happily. "Listen Tim, I really need to go," she said changing her tone. "I can't hang on the phone all the time with you!" In the background he heard Gibbs talking. Smiling, he broke off the connection.

Abby was home by four. She told Vance that she usually worked till midnight, so she would be going home early. Vance was too stunned to answer and let her go. Tim was in his wheelchair and had picked out two changes of clothes. One for him and one for her.

"We need to shower, because we are going out tonight," he told her happily. Abby looked at him glowingly. Even though she was worried it would be too much for him, she decided it would do him good to get out of the house.

"Where are we going?" she asked him curiously.

"Won't tell," he said. "Let's get ready," he told her. And with that they went to work to getting Tim clean and dressed.

A few minutes before six they were both ready. Tim had no idea what was going to happen. Tony was the master of dates so he trusted his teammate with this. At six sharp his doorbell rang. Abby opened the door and was surprised. There was Tony in his best smoking jacket.

"Hello ma'am, sir," he said. "Your ride has arrived, would you please follow me?" Abby wheeled Tim to Tony's car where they both lifted him in the front seat. In the rearview mirror Tim saw Tony give Ziva his apartment key.

When they arrived at Tony's house Abby and Tony lifted him back into his wheelchair. Tony wheeled Tim in his house and helped Abby out of her coat. Tony's living room was beautiful and romantic. The curtains were closed and there are lots of candles burning. In the background where was some music playing. Abby recognized it as the Music from Amelie. "Leave it to Tony to pick the soundtrack of a movie," she smiled.

Tony guided them to their seats. He took their order for drinks and served the meal along with the drinks. He also left a bell at the table. If there was anything they needed, they should ring for him. He would be in his bedroom watching a movie.

Abby smiled at Tim. He and DiNozzo had set up a romantic date for her. They just smiled at each other and enjoyed their food. Tony explained that Ziva had cooked the meal. And to be honest? It was delicious.

When they were half way through dinner Tim grabbed Abby's hand. "We are here for a reason," he started, "I want to start dating again" he said a little bluntly. Abby squealed in delight.

But before she started to talk, Tim jumped in. "I want there to be some ground rules," he said. Abby's expression saddened a bit. "I like you, I like you very much. I even think I love you. But I need some rules, just to get this relationship started."

Abby placed her hand on Tim's hand. "I already told you that I am in this as far as humanly possible. I will do anything to make it work with you."

Tim's face turned a little bit red. "I think I need to go to the bathroom," he said. He pushed the bell to get Tony. "You are on a date, you shouldn't have to help me," he explained to her.

Tony came in and asked very politely if there was something he could do. He took his part as waiter very seriously. "I need to go to the bathroom please," Tim told him.

"Of course, sir" Tony said, wheeling him away to his bathroom.

"How is it going?" Tony asked, waiting in his bedroom while McGee was in the bathroom. "Very well, we are about to talk about the conditions" McGee said. "

Tony smiled. "I knew it! It is all 'because of this date!" He looked very happy and couldn't help glowing when he pushed Tim back in. He served them new drinks and went back to his bedroom.

"Any conditions," Abby said, taking up the conversation where they left it before Tim's potty break.

"We are going to take it slow. No sleepovers until I am healed, so we can do it the right way." Abby nodded, she could understand that. He was still a man after all, and this sleeping with her was not the kind he was looking forward to.

"Tomorrow night I will go home." She promised him. "Tony told me that I couldn't go home tonight."

"That's fine" McGee said.

Tim took a sip from his drink and continued. They both had pushed their meals aside. "Then there is an other thing. I want this relationship to go somewhere. And as you know, I like to talk about where this is going. I mean, we don't have to make appointments for it, but I would like to have this conversation once in a while."

Abby sighed, she knew this would come. "Tim, when I told you I was in for this for real, I knew you were going to say that. I even want to have this conversation, because I know it is important to you.

Abby saw that this date was wearing out Tim. They belled and asked Tony for desert. Ziva prepared some Israeli desert and it was so good, Abby asked for some of it to take home with her. When the meal was over, Tony drove them back to home.

When Abby opened the door to Tim's apartment she was surprised. Everything geeky was covered with sheets and there was a red glow in the living room. Tony ordered Abby to go play a game at Tim's computer or something.

"Time for some love," Tony said taking McGee to his bedroom.

McGee's usually white bedroom walls were covered in a red glow. There where candles everywhere and the TV was ready to play Brokeback Mountain, the most romantic movie Tim owned. Everywhere he looked there where candles. The room was very romantic and seemed to exude love.

"Ziva did this?" Tim wanted to know. "Yep, probie. All this is the work of our killer ninja." McGee was surprised.

Tony helped McGee change and then put him in to bed. He was wearing his MIT shirt. Abby wore it last night so it smelled like her. Tony told Abby to change in to something comfortable and lay next to McGee.

While Abby was changing Tony put a bottle of alcohol-free wine on the bedstand next to Tim, he also left some snacks.

"Good luck, Probie" he wished Tim before he left the apartment. He headed back to his apartment where now Ziva would be. Smiling he pushed the car to go faster.

Abby sat next to McGee, holding his hand. She would like to snuggle up next to him but she knew it would cause him too much pain. So she settled for holding his hand.

When the movie arrived at the point where Jack and Ennis met again they were both crying. McGee leaned over to look at Abby, with his other hand he brushed away the tears of her face.

Cupping her cheek he both leaned for the kiss they both had been longing for. Her lips felt softer than he remembered. His tongue licked her upper lip. She opened her mouth to let him in, and he explored her mouth like he had never been there before. They both lost themselves completely in the kiss, after a while they had to come up for air. Speechless, he looked in her eyes,

"I love you" he whispered, asking himself if it wasn't way too early for that.

Abby shut down the TV and snuggled up next to McGee, her head on his chesttrying to be careful not to hurt him. It did hurt, but he just couldn't tell her. Her face looked more pale than usual on his bandaged chest. But the only thing he felt were butterflies in his stomach and something that seemed like endless love.

I need the colors, painted in your mind.

A line of his favorite song at the moment flashed trough his head looking at her.

Right before he fell asleep he heard Abby whisper, "I love you, too" and happy, he fell asleep.

The next morning he looked at Abby. He had pushed her of his chest somewhere during the night. She hung onto his arm and her eyes fluttered when she woke up. She kissed him careful on his mouth and came out of bed to get them ready for the day and after that she would get to work.

The following two weeks, Gibbs and his team had just one murder, but he refused to take a T.A.D. Agent. The team just finished the case when they heard a ding from the elevator. They were not so surprised to hear Abby talking, but they where surprised to see that she was talking to McGee in a wheelchair.

"McGeeee!" Tony said happily. Ziva kissed him on the cheek and even Gibbs looked happy to see him.

"Good to see you, McGee," Gibbs said. "Cleared for duty?" He said with a smile to the man in a wheelchair.

"Nope," McGee answered. "Just a conversation with Vance. When I finish, I will stay a while to chat, after that I have lunch with Abby." He wheeled back to the elevator and went up one floor. He smiled at his team before he went in, feeling completely happy.

He wheeled right into the director's office "Morning, Director," he said. He wheeled into the roomso that he sat across the from the Director at his desk.

"I did some thinking about your plans, Agent McGee. And I came up with a plan myself. Let's get all the parties involved upstairs," Vance told McGee. It was not until then when McGee saw George Commers. They exchanged pleasantries, but before long Abby, Gibbs, Tony and Ziva were in the office.

"I have some news for you all." Vance started. Everyone in the room had flashbacks; Abby lost all color in her face and hung onto Gibbs and McGee.

"Let's starts with Officer David. Your liaison position with NCIS has ended." After this he paused and took a deep breath deliberately leaving the team in ignorance. "Ladies and gentlemen, I'd like to introduce you to Special Agent Ziva David."

He handed her an envelope. "You are now an American citizen and NCIS senior field agent. Congratulations." He watched with a smile as he saw the other team members congratulate Ziva and Abby was so happy she crushed Ziva in a hug.

"Agent McGee," Vance said when everybody was quiet again. "We talked about this. As long as you are on desk duty you are re-assigned to cybercrimes to lead your own team. They were happy to take you back."

Abby looked very hurt. "Trust me Abs," Tim chuckled. "I would go crazy in the bullpen when I couldn't go out in the field. I will be there for a few months, and then I will get back as field agent as soon as the doctor clears me."

"That better be soon," Gibbs warned his agent.

"Next," Director Vance said. "Agent Commers transferred from the local police department to NCIS. He will be Gibbs' new junior agent." Vance waited a minute and looked at the confused faces.

"This means the following. As soon as Agent McGee is cleared for field duty he will be Gibbs' Senior Agent. DiNozzo, you will get your own team. Ziva will be your Senior Agent, when the time is there you can choose your own junior agent. Your team will handle all hostage situations, and major crimes. You will still be under Gibbs' command."

He glared at DiNozzo. "This is not a debate, this will happen."

Tony's face looked like it was made of steel, revealing no emotions at all. But Ziva could tell that he wasn't happy with it. He could have had his own team a long time ago but he liked everything just as it was. He grabbed Ziva's had for support.

"Miss Scuito. Last but certainly not least. I brought you up here because in a few months there will be an extra team who depends on you. This would be too much workload. You have until then to find your own assistant."

Everyone was now looking at Abby's frightened face. And Gibbs whispered something in her ear. Vance had no doubt Gibbs would be up here again later today to talk about it. But he made up his mind.

"Thank you all for coming, that's all." Vance said and with that he sent everyone away, happy that the meeting was over.