It was 3.30 in the morning when Timothy McGee got the call.

"McGee, I need help"

"Abby? Is that you?"

"Yes it's me, Tim," her voice sounded shaky and McGee's stomach tightened at the sound of it

"What's wrong, Abby?"

"I'm dying."

That was it. He was out of bed. "Where are you, what happened?" he asked, his voice high and strained. "I'm coming."

"I'm at my house; McGee, there's something I have to tell you…"

"You can tell me anything, Abs, you know that. You're scaring me."

"I wouldn't bring you into this if I didn't have to, but…" her voice cut off.

"Abby?" McGee said loudly, fear striking through in his voice.

"I'm still here, just weak…listen you're gonna think I'm crazy or pulling your leg, but please…" her voice broke and McGee could hear her sobbing.

"Abby please tell me, you're really, really scaring me" he said, fighting the urge for his own eyes to well up with tears. Abby needed his help and he was going to be strong for her.

"Okay…please don't hate me…" she said, hastily followed by another sob.

"ABBY! Tell me! Please…"

"I'm a vampire…" Silence. "McGee? Oh God, I knew you wouldn't believe me…just please, Tim," she said crying, "I really need you're help…I forgot…I'm out of…"

"Blood?" McGee finished, unsure of what he was hearing.

"Yes…please, Tim you've got to believe me…I'm so scared…"

He could hear the hysteria in her voice. She wasn't lying; but seriously, a vampire? "Abby, if this is a joke…"

Abby was now in a complete state, "Tim! Please…I need you to help me…I can't last much longer…I'm getting…tired…Tim…" her voice trailed off and McGee jumped into action.

"Abby! Abby! Talk to me…" he said frantically. He thought of Abby alone in her flat, scared and crying. His heart broke and he steadied himself. Abby needed him now more than ever, and damned if he was gonna fail her.

"Tell me what to do Abby."

***

McGee hopped from foot to foot in the metal box. ‘Why the hell didn't the elevator go faster? He didn't remember it ever being this slow.' Finally the doors pinged open and he rushed out onto the floor of Abby's lab. He ran straight into the office and over to her desk feverishly searching for it. It wasn't there. He suddenly stopped and turned around, peering into the cupboard with the large glass doors and spotted what he was looking for. He wrenched open the door and pulled out the hippo.

"Bert, don't fail me now…" he studied his tail end and sure enough, just like Abby described, there it was. A small hole just there below the stub of a tail; about the size of the eraser on the end of the pencil. He followed Abby's directions and walked over to her desk. He grabbed the paperweight off her desk, removing the paperclips stuck to it, and put it up against the hole. When he removed it just like Abby had said, there was a small key now stuck to it. He quickly inserted it into the drawer under her desk and opened it. He froze with shock at what he saw. It took him a second, but he shook himself and collected the entire contents of the drawer into his bag.

"I will not fail her."

***

McGee rushed up the stairs to Abby's flat. Today was not the day for a broken elevator. He panted up to her floor and pulled out the key she had given him so long ago. He swiftly opened the door and burst into her flat.

"Abby! It's me Tim; I'm here. Abby!" No reply and McGee's heart jumped to his throat, "Abby?" he spotted a hand protruding from behind the sofa, outstretched and lifeless.

"ABBY!" He ran across the room throwing the bag on the floor next to her. Her body was limp as he lifted her head on top of his folded knees. "No, no, no…" he reached over and unzipped the bag pulling out the first of the red packets. They looked exactly like the ones you get in hospitals dripping into people's veins. He ripped open the first packet with his teeth; it was amazing what somebody could do running completely on adrenaline. He tenderly opened her mouth and dripped the liquid down her throat. A tear ran down his cheek, he hastily wiped away.

"Come on Abby!" he opened another packet and did the same; still no movement. ‘Damn it Abby, come on,' he thought frantically. Last chance; he opened the remaining packet and tipped it, careful not to spill a single precious drop away from her lips. He thought he saw her stir, but whatever it was it quickly ceased.

"I refuse to lose you Abby; I just won't do it," he lifted her further up his lap, wrapping his arms around her and clutching her to his chest. He rocked her back and forth, tears now flowing freely from his reddened eyes.

"NO! I refuse!"

Abby still remained silent, and McGee kept rocking her gently in his arms. This was not what was meant to have happened, the blood should have worked. His mind was on haywire, thoughts entering and leaving his head like flashes as he searched his brain for a solution. ‘Come on Timothy, you were top in your class. Think!' He looked down at her face; it was so pale. She needed more blood. He stopped moving, that was it. She needed more blood. He looked up and spied a knife in a rack on the kitchen counter. He tenderly laid Abby down on the floor and stood up. He grabbed the knife off the counter and knelt back down next to Abby. He raised the knife to his neck, using his other hand to find the vein. ‘Damn it, which one was it?' If he hit the Jugular he was likely to survive; the Carotid and he died. His eyes flicked over to Abby lying motionless on the floor and he closed his eyes.

"This is for you my darling," and he made the incision. Pain flooded his face and he cried out. His hand immediately covered up the small wound, and with his other arm he lifted Abby back up so that her mouth was his neck. He removed his hand and let her lips surround the cut, the blood flowing freely into her mouth. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her; hugging her. He let out of a sigh of relief as he felt her lips tighten, and the liquid flow from him to her. She began to suck, slow and repetitively. McGee closed his eyes again and let his head flop a little before realizing it made it harder for Abby to feed, and he promptly moved it back again. ‘This felt so…well he couldn't describe it.' He felt the warmth engulfing her skin, the blood revitalizing her. His body weakened but he still held on to her, never once letting go. She began to suck quicker and McGee's heart rate increased, spots appearing before his eyes. Still he held on to her. Suddenly her eyes flickered open, wide with shock and her chest jumped. McGee's eyes snapped open and he smiled as Abby removed her mouth from McGee and she began to support herself. McGee and Abby's eyes connected for a second; his filled with relief and happiness, hers with shock and disbelief. McGee's eyes closed over and his body swayed; he hit the floor with a thump.

"Tim!" she croaked, struggling to her feet and grabbing a cloth from next to the sink. She knelt and applied it to his neck stemming the blood flow, which had now reduced itself to a trickle. "Why would you do this?"

"To save your life maybe?" he murmured from the floor. Abby smiled, relieved at the sound of his voice.

"You scared me there for a second."

"What and you didn't?" he said slowly, opening his eyes and returning to sitting position.

"You've got me there," she said smiling; still holding the cloth to his wound.

***

McGee lay on her sofa, Abby safely in his arms; a plaster stuck to the side of his neck.

"I still can't believe it. Vampires are really real…"

"Ah, well, that's what you get for listening to religion."

"But its just so…"

"Outrageous?"

"Well you've always been that," he smiled "I would say mind-boggling."

"Hmm… nice way of describing it," she said, and they shared a laugh.

"So how long?"

"Two years, one of my boyfriends was one and well…it seemed like a cool idea at the time…"

"And now?"

"What after tonight?" she laughed. McGee laughed too.

"I suppose, but I won't let this happen to you again." Abby smiled and McGee held her tighter into his body.

"You're my knight in shining armour McGee," she said. McGee laughed, "No, I‘m serious Tim, if you hadn't have come round today, I'd be…well…dead." She finished off. McGee swallowed hard.

"I would never let that happen," he said flatly.

"You don't even know what you did back there, McGee. Doing something like that; it's big. You can't walk away from this now; we're bound together now for eternity. The fact that you were willing to give your life for mine is an act that binds our souls together."

"That's perfectly fine with me," McGee smiled.

"Eternity, McGee; do you know what that means? Forever. Nobody would want to be attached to me for that long…"

"I would…I do."

She smiled, her eyes widening. "You mean that?"

"Have I ever lied to you, Abby?"

"Well, no, but…"

"Well, I'm not about to start," he said. Abby nestled into him grinning from ear to ear. She suddenly opened her mouth, wide in shock.

"I never said thank you," Abby said, twisting in his grip so that her face was inches away from his.

"You don't need to," he said, staring into her eyes.

"Oh yes I do," she said raising her lips to his and pulling him into a deep kiss.

***

END