Title: In A Whole New Way
Author: CJ aka WritinginCT
Fandom: NCIS
Pairing: Abby/DiNozzo
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: None
Categories: Romance, Angst
Feedback: Love it? Hate it? Want to offer me a book deal to write original fiction? Email me!
Disclaimer: I don’t own the recognizable characters I’m just inspired by them. Hopefully they’ve had fun playing in my sandbox.
Summary: Interesting things can happen when you start seeing someone in a whole new way. Abby/DiNozzo Written for the NFA “The Playboy, The Goth & The Geek” Challenge.
Status: WIP

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Abby made her way into her lab alerting all of her equipment that she was there and that they all needed to wake up, they had work to do. She dropped her coat and purse on her desk chair and flipped on her computer monitor. It took her a second to register that there was something lying on her keyboard. A flower, more specifically a beautiful blushing cream colored rose. There was a little folded paper tucked into the keys next to it. Printed in a beautiful archaic font was a poem,

“The red rose whispers of passion, And the white rose breathes of love;
Oh, the red rose is a falcon, And the white rose is a dove.
But I send you a cream-white rosebud, With a flush on its petal tips;
For the love that is purest and sweetest Has a kiss of desire on the lips.
-John Boyle O'Reilly “

She smiled as she teased her nose with the rose as she read and reread the beautiful words. This was the latest in a series of incredibly sweet, romantic surprises that had been left for her. They had started appearing about two weeks after they got back from Kate’s funeral.

The first one was a bar of decadent Swiss chocolate left on her lab table with a simple unsigned note, “A sweet for someone sweet.”

It was a silly, sweet gesture that made her smile. And at the time she had desperately needed things to smile about through her grief. What bothered her was that she didn’t know who left it. Gibbs? Ducky? McGee? She could have peeked on the security tape to see who had done it or lifted fingerprints from the candy’s glossy wrapper, but she didn’t. It would have just taken away from the moment. Instead she just carefully saved the wrapper and the note in her desk drawer.

She never knew what she was going to find. Sometimes it was candy, or weird little stuffed animals. She laughed hardest at a little vampire coloring book and crayons left in the ballistics lab. And she adored the travel guide to the most haunted places in the country. Whoever her little gift giver was he knew her well.

But today as she read the poem she realized that the tone was changing. Normally the notes were light hearted, sometimes just little jokes or silly rhymes. But this was more, it was deeper. And it brought a flush to her cheeks as she tried to picture herself with any of the likely perpetrators. It really wasn’t Gibbs’ style; he was more direct. He was more likely to give her a Caf-Pow with an “I Love You” straw in it for Valentine’s Day than leave roses and poetry. She could picture Ducky being this sweet and romantic but she couldn’t picture him buying some of the sillier items. That really only left McGee or Tony and it really could be either of them. They both knew her well enough to know what she would like, and neither would think twice about buying some of the gifts. Although, she had to admit, she just couldn’t picture McGee buying the coloring book.

She gave the poem a final glance and tucked it away in the drawer with the rest of her memento’s. The rose was going to spend the day in a tall graduated cylinder on her desk.

Gibbs was the only one to comment on the flower as he teased, “Did I forget something, Abs?”

Her smile was wide as she looked at the rose, “Nope. It was just a surprise from my secret admirer.”

Seeing how happy she was about the whole thing he smirked and was about to tease her when Tony walked in.

Abby gave him a big smile, “Hey, Tony.”

He handed her a little paper bag, “Sorry no sprinkles today, but I figured a chocolate iced donut would be a close second.”

She opened the bag and inhaled in the scent of the donut, “You know me so well.”

He turned to leave and nonchalantly mentioned, “Nice rose, Abs.”

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Tbc... feedback always appreciated!!

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Tim was on his way back to his desk when he noticed something sticking out of Tony’s knapsack, he took a step closer and had to bite back a laugh, since when did Tony read poetry? He must be trying to impress some girl again, Tim thought as he sat down at his desk.

He sighed thinking about how easy it was for Tony to date. He’d just smile and say something clever and presto, he had a phone number. Tim always felt awkward around Tony and women, always the odd man out.

Then he smiled, there was one woman that Tim had dated that Tony never stood a chance with, Abby. Things had cooled to a close friendship between them but he held out the hope that maybe they would have another chance.

He shook his head to clear his thoughts and get back to work, but he did decide to ask Abby out for dinner soon.

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Tony was whistling to himself in the elevator, inordinately pleased with himself. Smiles from Abby could light up the darkest room and since he had started leaving her little presents there had been more and more of them for him to enjoy.

Things had changed so much the day that Kate was killed. Besides the raw gaping wound on all their hearts at the loss, Tony had realized for the first time that it could have just as easily been him killed instead of Kate. And he had looked at his lonely life and realized that if had been, who would have cared? Who would have missed him? And he had a horrifying vision of his funeral with a long line of women all taking a number to walk by his casket.

Then Ari had taken a shot at Abby and suddenly everything changed. Throwing himself on top of her to protect her was instinct. But what he felt, both physically and emotionally, as he lie on top her in that instant made him look at her in a whole new way.

He knew her well, but he wanted to know more. He wanted to share the secrets that lovers shared as they cuddled on the couch. He wanted to go watch fireworks with her sitting in front of him with his arms around her so he could feel each gasp of surprise. He wanted to take her bowling and be able to scoop her up and spin her around when she got a strike. He wanted to go walk on the beach at night with her and make wishes on all the stars. And he wanted to kiss her. Really wanted to kiss her.

He knew that things between her and McGee had sort of fizzled out, and he felt bad for McGee. But he would learn from Tim’s mistakes. Abby wasn’t the type to be rushed into anything. And he had formulated his strategy, he was a romantic at heart and once the idea of being her secret admirer had blossomed in his mind he went with it.

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Gibbs had left Abby to blissfully enjoy her donut. And he was smirking to himself as he walked into autopsy.

He knew that it was Tony leaving the gifts for Abby. When she had first slipped and let Gibbs know that she had a secret admirer he had done what she hadn’t, he watched the security tapes. He wanted to be sure that whoever it was wasn’t some psycho stalker. This was Abby after all. He had almost choked on his coffee when he first discovered that it was Tony. He had somehow expected it to be McGee.

At first he had thought it was just Tony’s way of helping Abby through her grief over Kate. But he had noticed other things that made him wonder if something had changed for Tony. He no longer bragged about his dating conquests and no longer complained about spending long hours at the office. Tony had also started making it a point to walk Abby out to her car every night, without fail. And although Tony and Abby had never been shy about hugs and touches, Tony seemed to slipping in little caresses here and there that he had never done before.

Gibbs knew that down deep Tony was a good man. And Abby, well Abby was Abby. She had her own mind and her own heart. And if she returned Tony’s feelings then he would be happy for them. And if she didn’t, he knew that she would let Tony down in the same gentle way that she had let McGee down.

He did feel bad for McGee though.

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tbc...

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It had been a week since she had found the rose on her desk and she hadn’t gotten another surprise since. Abby wondered if that was it, wondered if she was supposed to have figured it out by now and now her admirer had given up on her.

She went and spent some time in autopsy with Ducky trying to avoid her lab for a while, things where slow and when things were slow she got bored and when she got bored she looked for trouble. Ducky regaled her with the odd history of the guinea pig and her mood was much lighter as she went back to her lab.

She couldn’t help herself when she saw the tall silver gift bag standing near her microscope, she clapped her hands and squealing in delight scurried over to it. Her eyes grew huge and she gasped as she pulled out the gift, it was an absolutely beautiful hand-blown glass bottle. The fluorescent lights glinted off of its ruby red surface and she could see little flakes of gold and silver embedded deep in the glass. The stopper was a heavy piece of ruby glass onto itself, and the molten glass had been pulled and curled into a spiral. There was a tightly rolled piece of paper tied to the neck of the bottle with a gold ribbon, she slipped it out carefully and unrolled it to read, “Every genie needs a bottle.”

She smiled, they had all been in the bullpen talking about past Halloween costumes last week and she had mentioned that she went as a genie a few years ago and that some klutz at the party she had gone to had knocked over her bottle and broken it.

Abby realized that the bottle was full and she gently pulled the stopper to investigate. It was bath oil, and it had a heady scent of sandalwood and musk and was just an exotic treat.

She sat at the bench with her chin in her hands just staring at the lovely gift when Gibbs walked in and dropped a Caf-pow next to her. He followed her gaze and saw the bottle and grinned, DiNozzo did have good taste. He kept that to himself but did comment, “Pretty.”

Sighing she looked at him with an odd expression, “Please tell me you’re not my secret admirer, Gibbs.”

He smirked, “I’m not your secret admirer, Abs.”

She squinted at him, “But you know who it is don’t you?”

“Well, yeah. Don’t you?” he teased as he left the lab.

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Tim made his way down to the lab at the end of the day to catch Abby before she left, he really wanted to ask her out to dinner and maybe try and rekindle things. He found her the same way Gibbs had earlier, with her chin in her hands staring at the bottle.

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Tony wanted to go see Abby, to see if she liked her gift and had just hit the elevator button for her floor when Gibbs slipped into the elevator. As it started down he reached over and hit the emergency stop and turned towards Tony.

“Boss?”

“DiNozzo, you know that rule twelve exists for a reason?”

Tony cringed inwardly, but before he could say anything witty, Gibbs continued, “All I’m going to say is do not hurt her and give me an excuse to shoot you. Are we clear?”

“Crystal, Boss.”

Gibbs flipped the switch back on and the elevator continued on its way. Tony was trying to re-compose himself, but had to know something, “How long have you known?”

Gibbs chuckled, “Since you left her the teddy bear with the interchangeable heads.”

That was the third gift out of more than a dozen. “That long, Boss?” he gulped.

The door opened and Gibbs started to walk out, “Well yeah, DiNozzo. I do know how to watch security footage.

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Tony was banging his head in the elevator, if Gibbs had watched the footage, had Abby? He doubted it, she would have said something. The door opened and he plastered a smile on his face as he entered her lab.

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“Hi, Abby.”

She turned her head slightly then turned back to the bottle, “Hey, McGee.”

“What’s that?”

“The latest gift from my secret admirer”

“Oh.” “Wait a minute, secret admirer?” he asked skeptically.

“Yeah, the one that’s been leaving me surprises for weeks.” She somehow knew from his tone that it wasn’t him. “Did you want something, McGee? I’ve shut down the gang already.”

“Actually I wanted to ask you…”

He was interrupted by Tony zipping into the lab and asking boisterously, “Ready to go, Abs? I’ll walk you out.”

Looking at Tim’s face he realized that he had interrupted something, and tried to use humor to lighten up the room, “Gotta genie in that bottle, Abs?”

As soon as he said it he wanted to kick himself. He might as well just hang a sign around his neck that read “Abby’s Secret Admirer”.

Tim didn’t get the significance, but Abby did the instant Tony said it. But she gave nothing away, and just packed up the lovely gift and grabbed her purse.

She and Tony were heading out the door when she remembered, “McGee, what was it you wanted to ask me?”

Part of him wanted to ask her in front of Tony so that when she said yes, he would witness it. But the other part of him didn’t want to ask her in front of Tony on the awful chance that she might say no, Tony would never let him live that down. In the end he chickened out, “It’s nothing. Don’t worry about it.”

“Okay. Goodnight, McGee.”

“Night, Abby, Tony.”

“See you tomorrow, Probie.”

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Tony walked Abby out to her car and waited for her to open the door. She carefully placed the gift and her purse on the seat and turned to face Tony who was oddly quiet. When she turned he immediately noticed the gleam in her eye as she took a step towards him, and before he could say a word she took his face in her hands and kissed him.

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Tbc... feedback always appreciated!!

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Gibbs was sitting at his desk sipping a coffee and toasted the monitor with it when he saw Abby kiss Tony on the security camera feed. Apparently that ended any doubt as to how she felt about Tony being her secret admirer.

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Tony’s brain was about to short circuit. None of his fantasies even came close to this. And the most intense thing about it was that she was looking him right in the eye as she kissed him. No hesitation on her part, no nervousness, just a glint of playfulness in her eyes, and determination.

When she broke the kiss she only moved an inch away from his mouth to say, “Thank you for my presents, Mr. Secret Admirer.”

He gulped, he was just so not prepared for her to be taking the lead in all this. He had had it all planned out, a couple more gifts then a mystery dinner invitation where he would show up and get to see the surprise on her face. But those plans had effectively gone out the window now. He tried to recover, “My genie comment gave it away, huh?”

She smiled, “Oh, yeah.”

That smile gave him a little confidence and he teased back, “Well you realize that this totally messes up the rest of my master plan?

Abby quirked an eyebrow up in amusement, “Master plan?”

His hands had somehow come to rest on her waist, hers had moved from his face to the back of his neck, which she was unconsciously stroking with her thumbs. Between that, her perfume, and her general proximity he was starting to have problems concentrating.

“Yeah well, I sorta had things all planned out.”

“What sorta things?”

“Well if I tell you now then they won’t be a surprise.” He teased.

“Good point. I like surprises.”

His expression grew tender and he asked, “So you’re okay with this, Abs?”

She practically beamed at him, “More than okay, Tony. I was hoping it was you.”

This time he took the initiative and gently pressed his lips to hers. And when they broke this time he took a little step back. He reached up and stroked her cheek and grinned. They both knew they could jump right into things, they had known each other a long time, but it wasn’t what either of them wanted. They liked the game, and the romance. So without saying anything else she got in the car and he closed her door. She started the car but paused before pulling out to place her fingers on the window, he covered her hand with his for a moment, their eyes saying it all.

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Neither of them unfortunately had seen Tim standing at the edge of the parking area, on his way to this car. But he saw them, and it was almost like a physical blow to see them together. What hurt most though was what he saw in Abby’s eyes. She had never looked at him that way, would never look at him that way.

Not wanting to be discovered, he turned and headed back towards the building, figuring he could hide until they left.

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Gibbs attention on the security feed was drawn to someone approaching where Tony and Abby were standing. He grimaced when he saw that it was McGee. He saw the hurt on the young man’s face and how the weight of rejection slumped his shoulders as turned and walked back towards the building.

Gibbs sighed and said softly to the monitor, “Sorry, Elflord.”

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Tbc... feedback always appreciated!!

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The next day Abby entered her lab and began her morning routine and found a surprise. It wasn’t the most extravagant gift he had left for her, nor the silliest, but it was the most heartfelt and made her feel like she was walking on sunshine. And as she looked at the little chocolate kiss sitting on the T key on her keyboard she smiled.

She had taken a nice long soak in the tub last night letting the exotic scent of the bath oil Tony had given her soak into her pores. And she thought long and hard about how she felt about Tony being her secret admirer. He was a flirt, but then again so was she. He liked to goof off but worked hard, so did she. He was smart and funny and had been her friend for such a long time. Other than Gibbs there was no one she could count on more. She shivered thinking about the day that Kate died. That had just been so hard. Tony had been there for her, let her rant and rave then just hugged her for all he was worth. And when Ari had shot into her lab and Tony protected her with his own body she had felt things that she probably shouldn’t have. But things changed with his little gift giving campaign. He was being so sweet and so romantic and as she let a little more hot water into the tub she realized that he was being everything she wanted.

Gibbs slipped into her lab with coffees in hand and caught her smiling at her desk. She looked up and squinted playfully at him, “You knew it was Tony.”

“Yep. Since he left that thing for you.” He gestured towards the odd teddy bear on her shelf with six interchangeable heads arranged around it as he headed out the door.

“Gibbs!” She said in exasperation, but he was already gone.

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The bullpen was quiet, abnormally so. Tony had tried to engage McGee in conversation but Tim adamantly avoided it. He just couldn’t stop thinking about the way Abby looked at Tony in the parking lot. Deep down he did want to be happy for them, they were both his friends but it just stung too badly right now. Maybe in time he could be, but just not right now.

Tony meanwhile was trying to figure out what was bugging McGee. But after baiting him so many times to try and drag him into a conversation he just gave up, deciding that McGee would talk to him when he was good and ready.

Meanwhile Tony was stumped. He had no idea where to take Abby on a “first date”. The two of them had been friends for years and had gone to movies and dinner and other things but he wanted this time to be special. But he was coming up empty. And it made him want to beat his head on the desk.

He was sorting through his email when something from one of his buddies caught his eye and it made him exclaim out loud, “Perfect!”

McGee looked over at his pronouncement with a raised eyebrow and Tony said sheepishly, “Just an email from a buddy talking about…basketball.”

Tony did a quick internet search and a few moments later had purchased tickets for what promised to be a great night.

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Gibbs swept into the bullpen and could almost feel the tension rolling off McGee. He sighed, thinking to himself that that was exactly why rule twelve existed. He didn’t need his team distracted. Tony on the other hand was almost intolerably chipper. Gibbs almost didn’t know which was worse to deal with.

They snagged the case of a murdered Marine and his young son and no one went home for three days. By the time they cracked it, the whole team was on edge. Gibbs had taken the case hard, as did McGee. But oddly it was Tony that it seemed to be affecting most of all. Initially when they had gotten the call the only victim they had been told about was the Marine. It had been Tony that had found the lifeless, broken body of the Marine’s son stuffed in a closet. He just couldn’t get the image out of his head.

Gibbs could tell by Tony’s demeanor that he wasn’t as okay as he kept claiming to be. And he didn’t hassle Tony when he slipped away from his desk to go see Abby. Even before Tony had become Abby’s secret admirer, Abby had been one of the few people Tony would accept comfort and mothering from. And Gibbs knew that Tony needed a little of both right now.

The music in the lab was soft and sorrowful when Tony got down there and he walked in quietly, and saw Abby working at her bench. He wanted to smile but it just wouldn’t come. She turned and took one look at his face and just threw herself at him and held him tightly. His arms went around her and he squeezed back just as tight.

Abby knew that Tony had found the child and she couldn’t begin to imagine what that felt like, from her world it was bad enough to have to look at the evidence photos in cases like this. She also knew that Tony had been down to autopsy a couple of times to see the little boy. There really wasn’t anything that she or anyone else could say to make him feel better. So she stroked his head and murmured soft comforting words and just let him cling to her.

He wasn’t embarrassed when pulled back from each other and she saw the unshed tears in his eyes, he knew she wouldn’t think any less of him. He sniffed and reached up to stroke her cheek fondly and she smiled for him. He gave her hand a final squeeze and headed for the elevator, not saying a word. One of the things he loved best about Abby was that they didn’t always have to say anything. He didn’t have to put his emotions and thoughts in words. He probably didn’t deserve her, but he thanked whatever lucky star he was under that she was in his life.

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Tbc… feedback always appreciated!!

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Tony had been subdued for the past few days, actually the whole team had been, that last case taking a lot out of them. But he smiled widely for the first time in days when he was going through his mail and found the envelope containing the tickets he had ordered. It was going to be a perfect night. Now he just had to find a clever way to surprise Abby.

Tim looked over at the smug little expression on Tony's face and frowned, somehow he just didn't want to know.

Gibbs blew into the bullpen a moment later, "Grab your gear..."

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It was a hit-and-run, leaving a dead Navy lieutenant. From what the local law enforcement provided, it didn't sound like an accident. And they were in luck to have an eye witness that saw everything, the owner of a small bookstore directly in front of the accident scene.

"McGee, go talk to her. Tony, start processing the scene." Both men acknowledged him and Tim headed into the bookstore. He noticed a light blinked off and on as he walked into the little shop and he saw a pretty blond woman about his age sitting on a stool behind the check out counter. She was visibly shaken, and understandably so in his opinion. Tim flashed his id and started rambling off questions quickly until he noticed she was staring at him with a look of concentration but no understanding. He thought for a moment that she maybe didn't speak English. Until she spoke.

Her words were flat with no inflection and slightly nasal, "Please slow down, I can't read your lips when you speak that fast."

Tim blushed, embarrassed, but he did look at her directly and say, "Sorry. I didn't know. I'll be right back."

He headed back out to find Gibbs, "Um, Boss?"

"Yeah, McGee, what did she see?"

"Actually I could sort of use your help with the interview, Boss."

"Did you flunk Witness Interview 101, Probie?" Tony tormented as he snapped photos.

"DiNozzo." Gibbs said flatly, obviously not amused.

"Sorry, Boss."

"McGee, what do you need from me?" Gibbs asked, turning his attention back to Tim.

"The witness in the bookstore is deaf, and I was hoping, since you know sign language, that maybe..."

Gibbs turned and walked towards the shop leaving Tim standing there trailing off his words, "McGee, with me."

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Tim was in awe as he watched Gibbs with the witness. Barbara Murray was her name and the bookstore was owned by she and her father. Their hands were flying and although Tim could catch a sign here and there that he recognized, he was lost to the conversation. It did give him the opportunity to really look at her though and he liked what he saw. She was dressed in a conservative style, but in bold modern colors. Her hair was pulled back in a clip but he could see that it was long and thick, and streaked by the sun. He didn't catch what Gibbs said to her, but he was stupefied when she suddenly turned and looked right at him and gave him a wide smile.

Gibbs finished writing his notes and said, "McGee, you're going to take Ms. Murray here back to NCIS and have her work with Abby on a sketch, she apparently got a good look at the driver when he got out to check the lieutenant after he hit him."

He left Tim with Barbara and walked back out to see how Tony was doing, and he chuckled to himself. Barbara had asked him if Tim was always so nervous and he had made her laugh when he said yes. She was not a shy woman by any stretch, and he thought it was interesting that her interest in Tim seemed to be piqued and wondered if maybe the Elflord's luck might be turning.

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Abby had been playing some relatively calm music the past few days, that last case affecting her mood as well, but today she decided that she needed something to perk her up and the stereo was booming. When McGee walked in with a blond woman in tow she grudgingly turned the volume down to a human level.

"Abby, this is Barbara, she witnessed the accident earlier and got a good look at the driver and we need her to work on a sketch." He turned to face Barbara and tried to enunciate clearly without looking like an idiot, "Barbara, this is Abby. She's going to work with you on the sketch. And you're in luck because she knows how to sign."

Barbara extended her hand to Abby and said, "Hi, Abby, it's nice to meet you."

Abby smiled and signed something to which Barbara replied, "Either, but if we sign you can turn the music back up, it has a good beat."

Tim had to think about that exchange for a second before he realized that Abby had probably asked her if she preferred speaking to signing, and then he felt foolish about assuming that she would rather sign earlier when he had gotten Gibbs.

The two women abandoned him as they headed for Abby's desk to get started on the sketch. He headed over to Abby's bench and started pulling up the records of the dead lieutenant. He found himself peeking around the bench occasionally to see what the two girls were doing, there seemed to be a lot of laughter coming from the room.

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Barbara was chuckling as they sat down at Abby's computer and it prompted Abby to sign, "What's so funny?"

"He's cute. Is he always like that?"

"Who? McGee?"

"Yeah, he seems really nice."

"He IS really nice. And very sweet."

"And very single?" Barbara asked hopefully.

Abby didn't even sign her reply she just grinned widely and nodded. Because although she and McGee didn't work out, she still cared about him very much and kept hoping he would find someone nice that would see him for the wonderful person that he is.

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tbc....