The next morning Abby arrived in her lab to find a dozen long stem red roses. At first she felt like marching them up to his desk and telling him where he could put them. The she realized that wouldn’t be so smart, Gibbs wouldn’t be too happy. She saw the small card tucked in the flowers and had to smile as she read the note.



~Abbs,

I am such a jerk. Please forgive me. I know right now you probably hate me and I don’t blame you. Can we please be friends?

~Love you



She put the roses on another counter out of her workspace. She started her work for the day thinking about him.

Kate and Tim came into the lab a little later on. After giving Abby $20 for the bet they had made about Kate before they had their fight the night before, he headed up to the bullpen to work on their current case. He noticed he had an e-mail from Abby. He opened it and smiled as he read.



Tim,



Thanks for the twenty bucks; Kate and I will enjoy lunch on you today. Glad to see your lip isn’t so bad. Oh, thanks for the roses. They’re beautiful. And yes, we can be friends. I’ll talk to you later. (Now delete this before Gibbs sees it) :-)

Abbs



“Something amusing McGee?”

Tim quickly hit the delete key at the sound of Gibbs voice. He itched the side of his neck. “Uh, no boss.”

“Good. Did you and DiNozzo find anything during your search?”

Tim absently scratched at his arm.

“Yeah, Tony is supposed to drop it off to Abby.”

Gibbs noticed he was itching.

“McGee, you do know what poison ivy looks like, don’t you?” He grimaced. “I do now.”

Gibbs had to hide his smile as Tim continued to scratch.




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A little while later, Tony walked into the lab to drop off the evidence.

“Hey Abbs, nice roses. From anybody I know?”

She just smiled. “You’d love to know wouldn’t you? They’re from a friend.”

Tony smirked at her. “A friend huh? Must be a pretty good friend. Male or female?”

She laughed at Tony. “None of your business DiNozzo. Now go away before Gibbs kicks you in the ass.”

“Ok, fine.”

He turned to leave. “By the way, I wouldn’t go near McGee any time soon.”

She paused, wondering if Tony knew more than he was letting on.

“Why?”

Tony turned back around. “He spent the morning searching for evidence in a patch of poison ivy.”

She noticed the evil smirk on Tony’s face.

“Did you do that on purpose?”

“Who, me? Do you think I would do something like that?”

“Without a doubt.”

“You wound me Abbs.” He laughed as he left her lab.

She sighed; satisfied that Tony was none the wiser.




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Later in the day, Tim came into her lab. She freaked when she saw him.

“What?”

“Have you looked in a mirror lately?”

She handed him a CD. He made a face as he looked at his reflection.

“This is going to hurt, isn’t it?”

“Yes.”

“I look like a circus freak.”

Abby felt bad for him, but her thoughts were interrupted when Gibbs came into the lab looking for information on the evidence.




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The days went by, Tim’s poison ivy cleared up, the case was solved and things seemed to be going OK. Abby and Tim had talked and had agreed to take a little break and let things cool off. Another case came and went with nothing unusual happening, well except for the super glue incident with Palmer and Abby. Tim had to admit it was actually kind of cool to have Palmer afraid of him, but he did apologize to make Abby happy. The next case had Tony and Kate heading off to Paraguay chasing their suspect. That case was particularly sucky. He had gotten on Gibbs bad side with the coffee incidents and watching their suspect getting blown away on the MTAC screen was a little unnerving. Not long after they returned came the case of the petty officer murdered at the bikini contest. After that wrapped up, Tony headed off for his vacation in Panama Beach. The rest of the team had a slow week, catching up on paperwork and other not so exciting aspects of their jobs. Tim found himself getting annoyed again. He started noticing Abby was paying a lot of attention to Gibbs and saying some weird things to him. At first he was getting kind of pissed off, then he told himself he was acting stupid again.




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The Sunday before Tony came back, Abby and Tim went out to dinner. After dinner, Tim dropped Abby off at her house. He walked her to the front door and waited for her to find her key.

“I had a nice night Abbs.”

She smiled. “Me too, thanks.”

She opened the door and turned to face him.

“Well, I guess I’ll see you at work tomorrow.”

“Yeah, I guess so.”

They stood staring at each other for a few seconds before he leaned in and kissed her softly. He smiled at her.

“I gotta go Abbs, I’ll see you in the morning.”

As he went to leave, she grabbed his hand.

“Stay. Please?”

He cupped her cheek with his hand and gently brushed her cheek with his thumb and smiled at her again.

“Are you sure?”

She nodded. “I miss you Tim. I miss having you next to me. Please stay with me.”

Without any further words he took her by the hands and led her into the house, closing the door behind them.

Tim arrived at work in a very cheerful mood. After they got the call out for the petty officer that was supposedly assaulted at her home, he really didn’t get much of a chance to talk to Abby. Then Gibbs basically had him pull an all nighter trying to retrieve the information from the petty officer’s cell phone.




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The next morning Tim snuck down to Abby’s lab while Gibbs was busy. He crept up behind her and wrapped his arms around her and kissed her on her neck.

“McGee! Are you trying to get us busted? What if Gibbs comes down here?”

He placed another kiss behind her ear. “Don’t worry, he’s busy. Besides, I’ll take him a coffee when I go back.”

“Come on Tim, you know our one rule.”

He let her go and stepped back. “I know, not at work. I just didn’t get the chance to really see you yesterday.” She turned to face him. “That’s sweet Tim, but really, if I don’t have something for Gibbs soon, he’s going to kill me.”

He pouted at her. “Since when are you afraid of Gibbs?”

She smiled. “I’m not. I just don’t want you to get in trouble.”

He smiled back at her. “I won’t. I just wanted to say hi. I guess I’ll go before he realizes I’m gone. I’ll try to stop down later to see how things are going, Ok?”

She nodded. “Sure.”

He stole a quick kiss and left the lab before she could yell at him again.




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Later in the day, he headed back down to the lab again. As he rounded the corner, he saw Gibbs coming out of the lab. Just as he stepped out, his cell phone rang.

“Yeah, Gibbs.”

He watched as Gibbs rolled his eyes, turned around and went back in. Gibbs had not seen him in the hall and he quietly stood outside the door listening to them.

“See this?” He heard Abby ask.

“Yes.” Gibbs responded.

“I cut myself today installing a graphics card in my computer.”

“Ok, you want me to kiss it or something?”

“That would be really nice, but not my point.”

Tim started getting pissed. He listened as Abby explained what she had found.

He heard Gibbs tell her “Great work Abbs.”

Then there was a slight pause. “Feel better?”

Abby responded in a cheerful voice “Much”.

He ducked out of sight as Gibbs exited the lab and headed back up to the bullpen.

He waited a minute before he went in the lab. She didn’t see him walk in the door. He cleared his throat and she spun around to see who was there.

“Oh, hey Tim. What’s up?”

She noticed he looked really mad, which was strange since he was in such a good mood that morning.

“Is something wrong? I thought we were good.”

“Are we?”

“What are you talking about?”

“What’s the story with you and Gibbs?”

“What the hell do you mean?”

“Let’s see, after Sunday night I thought we had worked things out, then today you’re in here falling all over Gibbs.”

“What? You’re nuts Tim.”

“Am I? What was that little scene just now, here in the lab?”

“What? Were you listening to us? What the hell is your problem? Are you jealous or something?”

“No. Are you saying there is a reason for me to be? Was I right that time I asked you if you had ever thought about somebody else? Is that why you were so worried about him coming down here earlier? Were you afraid he would catch you?”

She narrowed her eyes at him. “You know what McGee?”

He knew it wasn’t good when she switched to his last name. She stepped over to him and stared him straight in the face.

“As far as I’m concerned, you can take a hike. I don’t need this shit.”

“Fine with me. I’m not going to sit around wondering who you’re chasing from day to day.”

Suddenly she slapped him across the face.

“You bastard! Get the hell out of my lab!”

He stood his ground and when she raised her hand to slap him again, he grabbed her by the wrist. The look in his eyes scared her.

“Let me go!”

She tried to pull her arm away from him, but he only tightened his grip.

"Is this what you want Abby? Just say the word and I'm gone"

She looked him straight in the eye. "Fuck off McGee!"

He let her arm go and silently turned and left her lab. She stood for a few seconds in shock before she sank back into her chair with tears running down her face. She sat rubbing her wrist, which she was pretty sure would bruise.

"Why do I love him so much?" she asked out loud to no one.




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Several days went by after their case was solved and not much else was going on but paperwork. Tim and Abby had hardly said a word to each other. If the others noticed, they weren’t letting on. Abby had worn a wide bracelet to cover up the bruise Tim had left on her wrist. The weekend came and with nothing new on the agenda, Gibbs had sent them home and told them to have a nice weekend.

On Sunday night, Tim found himself at a local bar. He didn’t know why he was there, the bar scene never really appealed to him, especially on a work night. He was still hurting terribly over the last argument he had with Abby. Before he realized it, he had had a few drinks and was beginning to feel a little tipsy. He was sitting at the bar watching the baseball game, drinking another beer when he heard someone call his name.

“Tim? Tim McGee?”

He turned to see an attractive woman waving at him. It took his foggy mind a few seconds to realize he knew her.

“Michelle?”

She walked over to him and gave him a hug.

“Hey! How you been? We’ve missed you dawn at Norfolk. How’s life treating you now that you’re a field agent?”

He smiled at her. Michelle was an old friend from his days at Norfolk. They never really hung out, but they had worked together on many occasions.

“I’m doing all right. How about you? Wow, you look great.” She blushed a little.

“Oh Tim, always trying to impress the ladies. I’m good. I don’t like the guy they brought in to replace you. He’s a real jerk. Thinks he’s God’s gift or something. Anyway, what brings you here? I know the bar thing really isn’t your gig.”

He shrugged and took another swig of his beer.

“Just trying to rid myself of some work related tension.” Michelle laughed. “I know what you mean.”

A couple of hours and a few more drinks later, he called a cab.

He was waiting outside with Michelle when he started a conversation that would end up leading to the biggest mistake of his life.

“So, you never told me what you’re doing in my neck of the woods.”

“Training seminar. Ended this morning, so we get a free night before heading back tomorrow.”

Tim smiled at her.

“So where are you staying?”

She smiled back at him. “Why Timothy McGee, if I didn’t know better I’d think you were coming on to me.”

Without really thinking, he pulled her to him and kissed her. She pulled back a few seconds later, breathless.

“Well, I guess that clears up any guessing.”

The taxi arrived and they both got in.

“Where to?” the driver asked.

They looked at each other and smiled. Tim gave the driver his address. At that point in time, he didn’t realize the consequences of his decision.




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Tim woke up the next morning, his head still slightly hazy. It took him a few minutes to realize that he wasn’t alone. He looked over to see her asleep next to him.

“Damn it!” he cursed himself inwardly.

Then he remembered the night before. He quietly got out of bed and went into the bathroom. After taking a quick shower, he put on a t-shirt and boxers. He was glad she was still asleep when he was done. He went into the living room to try and get his head on straight.

What was he going to do? What if Abby found out? Trying to distract himself, he ended up playing around on his computer.

Before too long, Tony and Kate had shown up. Actually, they had broken into his apartment. He prayed that Michelle didn’t wake up. That would be all he needed. He quickly got dressed and tried to be as quiet as possible. He hurried them out the door and was thankful they were none the wiser.




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He spent the entire ride to the scene in silence. Tony and Kate were too busy bickering among themselves to really notice. He didn’t care anyway. He really did not want to try and convince them that nothing was wrong.

When they arrived on scene, Gibbs was the one to notice he was acting strange.

“McGee, you all right?”

“Yeah boss, just a little tired.”

Gibbs nodded and gave him a look.

Great that’s all he needed, Gibbs on his case. They finished up at the scene and headed back to headquarters. He let Tony and Kate take the evidence to Abby, Gibbs went to talk to Ducky.

He went to the bullpen and sat down at his desk.

When Tony and Kate dropped off the evidence, she asked where Tim was.

Tony told her he said he wasn’t feeling well and was upstairs. After They left to meet Gibbs and Ducky in autopsy, she decided to go check on Tim. She took a case file with her so if Gibbs caught her, at least she would have an excuse to be there, all be it a lame one.

Tim sat at his desk sulking. He couldn't believe he screwed up this bad. How had he gotten himself into this? Technically, him and Abby were broke up, so why was he feeling so guilty in the first place? That's what he tried to reason, but it wasn't working. If they broke up, then why did Abby let him spend the night just last week? Then again, their last conversation wasn't exactly pleasant either. He knew the reason for his guilt. He loved Abby.

He shook his head and sighed. What was he going to do?

He knew Michelle was going to call him. How was he going to tell her last night had been a huge mistake? Then he would have two women angry with him.

He was half tempted to ask Kate for advice. No, Kate would call him on it. Although nobody officially knew they were dating on a steady basis, he was pretty sure Kate would figure it out.

No way was he even going to think about asking Tony. That would only serve to cause him more grief. Knowing Tony, he would be proud of him for what he did.

He could always see Ducky. Nah, Ducky would probably spend all afternoon rambling on about something totally irrelevant. It wasn't that he didn't like Ducky, mind you. Besides, he didn't want Gibbs to get pissed off at him for wasting work time on a personal matter. God, life sucked. He groaned and dropped his head to the desk with a thud.

He heard the elevator and thought nothing of it. It was probably someone from the team. Before he could lift his head up, a familiar female voice spoke.

"Hey Tim. Are you ok?"

His head shot up. "Michelle! What are you doing here?"

She smiled at him. "Gee, don't seem so happy to see me." She walked over closer to his desk.

"Since you left so early this morning, I came to see if you wanted to grab lunch."

"Uh, I can't. That is, Gibbs has us working non stop on this case."

"Is that why you're sitting at your desk doing nothing?"

He sighed again. "I'm supposed to be working. I just have a lot on my mind."

"Is that so?"

Another familiar female voice came from the direction of the stairs. He grimaced. Michelle turned to see Abby standing there, not looking very happy.

"When you have a minute, McGee, I have some information for you. I'll be in my lab."

She sounded very angry. She glared at Michelle for a few seconds then turned and walked away.

"Damn." Tim mumbled under his breath. She was pissed.

How much had she heard? It was never good when she called him McGee in that tone of voice.

Michelle turned back to face Tim. "Who was that?"

"Oh, that's Abby, our lab tech."

"Girlfriend?"

"Was, I mean we broke up a little while ago."

"Oh."

He could tell she was suspicious.

"I'm sorry about this morning, I had to come in."

"Sorry about this morning or last night?"

He frowned. "I'm really sorry Michelle."

"So am I Tim."

She turned and walked away from him, heading for the elevator. He closed his eyes and banged his head on the desk again.

After mentally cursing himself for several minutes, he got up to go see if he could salvage anything of his relationship, or at least friendship with Abby.




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Tim cautiously entered Abby's lab. It was unusually quiet. Abby was at a computer, her back to him. He didn't say anything as he approached her, but saw her tense up when he neared.

Before he could speak, she spun the chair around and jumped up in front of him.

"What the hell is your problem McGee?"

She only called him by his last name when they were alone if she was seriously pissed.

"Abby..."

"Save it! I don't want to hear any of your stupid excuses! I was so stupid to think we could work things out. I hope you're proud of yourself."

"No, I'm not! Jesus Abby, I screwed up big time. If you want to be technical, the last conversation we had was you telling me to fuck off, so we really weren't together anyway."

"That is so lame. I can't believe you are trying to justify what you did. You know as well as I do that we fight all the time. That doesn't mean that every time we argue you can run out and fuck somebody else!"

"Last night was a one time thing. It's never happened before. I swear to God. I went out and had a few drinks. She's an old friend from Norfolk. She was in town for training. I didn't mean to sleep with here, it was an accident."

"Bullshit Tim! How do you �accidentally' sleep with somebody? You knew what you were doing. Unless you were drugged or tied up, you were a willing participant! I can't believe you!"

"Look Abby..."

He stepped closer to her.

"Don't you dare touch me! You lay a finger on me and I swear I'll have Gibbs kick your ass!"

"Oh, so now we're back to Gibbs again? You called me crazy last time I mentioned about you flirting with him. Is there something you should be telling me?"

"Go to hell Tim!"

"What in the hell is going on down here?"

Tim froze in horror at the sound of Gibbs voice.

Abby wiped the tears at the corners of her eyes and looked at Gibbs.

"Nothing Gibbs. McGee and I were just having a little disagreement."

"McGee?"

Tim slowly turned to face Gibbs. "Uh, sorry boss. It won't happen again."

"It better damn sight not! I don' t know what's going on down here, but you two better knock it off. Do I have to remind you of rule number twelve?"

Tim's face paled and he was at a loss for words.

Abby spoke up instead. "No. You don't have to worry about that Gibbs."

Tim got the hint that that was Abby's way of telling him to hit the road. Without saying anything to either of them, he quickly exited the room and made his way back up to the bullpen.




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The rest of the day just got worse. Gibbs kept giving him the evil eye all day, and after the incident with sending Gibbs and Tony to a house full of girls having a sleep over, he didn't think things could get much worse.

He just wanted to crawl into a hole and die.

After the case was solved, things quieted down for a while. There hadn’t been a new case for over a week and a half. Everyone was going stir crazy.

Abby and Tim put up a good front around the others and nobody seemed to notice the way Abby would give Tim the death stare when they were in the same room together. The stress of acting like everything was fine was really starting to get to her.

She had mentioned to Kate how crappy she was feeling lately. Kate had reminded her of their upcoming girls weekend at the spa which cheered her up. She was really looking forward to getting away.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Disaster struck when Gibbs had forced everybody to work overtime. Her and Kate’s plans flew out the window.

She was in her lab when Kate came to see her.

“Hey Abby.”

“Hey Kate.”

“I can’t believe Gibbs did this. I am so mad.”

“Yeah. I know.”

Abby looked like she was tearing up.

Kate gave her a concerned look. “You ok Abby? You’ve been really down lately. Is something wrong?”

Abby shook her head. “Nah. I just haven’t been feeling too good lately. I’ve been really tired and just generally feeling lousy. I must have caught a bug somewhere.”

“You sure that’s it?”

Kate gave her a questioning look.

“What are you talking about Kate?”

“Come on Abby, you know what I mean.”

Abby started to laugh. “Kate, are you seriously asking me if I’m pregnant?”

Kate smiled. “Well?”

“No way! I’m just not feeling good. I swear.”

Kate gave her a look. “If you say so.”

“I’m not!”

“Ok Abby. I have to go. Gibbs will have my head if I don’t get back upstairs. I’ll catch you later. Remember, I’m here if you want to talk.”

Kate left the lab and Abby thought she was going to pass out.

“Oh my God.” she whispered.

She thought back to the last time she was with Tim. Then she realized that with everything going on, she hadn’t noticed she was over a week late for her period. She felt sick.

“Abby, what have you gotten yourself into?” she asked herself out loud.

Once the case was solved and Gibbs finally let them leave, her first stop on the way home was the pharmacy.

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Later on, Abby sat on the floor of her bathroom, her back against the tub and her head resting on her knees.

The beeping of the alarm clock next to her startled her from her thoughts. She reached over and turned it off with a sigh.

She looked dreadfully at the plastic stick sitting on the toilet lid. She didn’t want to look. What was she going to do?

At this point in time, she hated Tim so much she’d rather punch him than look at him. She didn’t even want to think of how mad Gibbs was going to be.

She took a deep breath and picked up the stick.

Through the tears that were clouding her vision, she looked at it.

He was going to freak. How was she going to tell him? She picked herself up from the floor and put the test on the counter.

She walked into the bedroom and laid down and began sobbing. She fell asleep wondering how she was going to tell Tim she was having his baby.

Monday morning, she decided she was just going to get him alone and tell him straight out. If he freaked and bolted, then she would know what kind of person he really was. If he was happy and stuck around, she would have to find a way to forgive him.

She had just about worked up the courage to send him an e-mail to meet her in the lab when it happened. Tony opened that letter and everything went nuts.

After that, the only thing on the agenda was to figure out what was going on and save Tony. She was freaked out when Gibbs and Tim came into her lab in bio hazard suits. She was scared to death that he would be infected too. Then what would she have done?

By the time everything was over and Tony was safe, she had changed her mind. She was so afraid of scaring him off for good. She told herself she would wait just a little while longer.

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A little while longer ended up turning into two weeks. Before she knew it, Tony was back from his medical leave. Her and Tim were being civil to each other, keeping up a good front in Gibbs presence. Neither of them wanted to face his wrath by bickering at work again.

She was so happy at seeing Tony alive and well, she decided she was finally going to tell Tim.

Then everything really went to hell.

Ari had shown back up and was targeting Gibbs. Once again everything took a back seat to the case. She had heard the team had found out what Ari was planning and had located his terrorist cell in Norfolk. She was really worried when they took off after him, especially after the freaky dream she had told Kate about.

She tried to do her work without too much worry, but had a nagging feeling that something was really wrong.

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Not having her music on, she heard someone walk into her lab. She looked up to see Ducky standing there like he had just lost his best friend. Her stomach dropped.

“Ducky?”

Before he could answer, her cell phone rang.

“That would be Jethro.”

Ducky said. Abby gave him an odd look when she saw the caller ID indeed said it was Gibbs. Her hands began to shake.

“Hello?”

She could hear Gibbs breathing on the other end.

“Gibbs? What’s going on?”

The tone of his voice shocked her. He sounded like he had been crying.

“Abbs. I want you to go with Ducky.”

“What? Hold on, go where?”

He took a deep breath. “There’s been an incident Abby.”

She felt her blood pressure rise.

“Define incident Gibbs! What is going on?”

“Abby, Ari and his boys got the drop on us.”

His voice cracked on the next sentence.

“Kate is dead and McGee is on his way to the hospital. They aren’t sure if he’ll make it.”

“Oh God! No! Not Kate! No! Please no, not Tim!”

She dropped the phone and sank to the floor. Ducky rushed to her.

He picked up her phone and told Gibbs he would bring her to the hospital in Norfolk then hung up.

Abby was crying her heart out.

“Abigail, come on. You need to get up from the floor. We need to get to Norfolk.”

“No Ducky, you don’t understand. He can’t die. I never told him.”

Ducky helped her up from the floor and got her jacket.

“Don’t worry, I’m pretty sure Timothy know how you feel about him.”

She shook her head and wiped her eyes.

“No, that’s not it Ducky. We’ve been dating for months now. Oh God, I should have told him weeks ago.”

After a few seconds, Ducky nodded in understanding.

“Come on, we can talk in the car.”

She nodded as Ducky led her from the lab.

Abby and Ducky arrived at the hospital to find Gibbs and Tony in the ER waiting room. Tony was sitting in shock, his face and shirt splattered in blood. Gibbs was pacing the floor, his hands and shirt also stained red.

Ducky looked at Gibbs and saw a pain in his eyes that he had never seen in all the years he had known him. “Jethro, are you all right?”

He took in Ducky’s concerned look and then looked at his hands. “Yeah. Yeah, it’s not mine. It’s McGee’s.” At that Abby began to cry again.

Ducky nodded. “Any word on the young lad?”

Gibbs shook his head slightly. “No, he’s still in surgery. He took two shots to the chest and one grazed his head. It wasn’t looking too good. He was in cardiac arrest when they brought him in.”

“Oh dear.” Ducky glanced at Abby who looked like she was going to pass out.

Gibbs drew in a deep breath. “I left specific instructions for Kate to be sent to you Ducky. I want you to take good care of her.”

“Of course Jethro. I wouldn’t think of giving her anything but my best.”

Abby approached Gibbs. He noticed she looked very angry. He dropped his head and looked at the floor when she began yelling at him. “What happened Gibbs? Why did you run after him? You knew what Ari was capable of! What is wrong with you? Why weren’t they wearing vests Gibbs?”

Gibbs stared at the floor and when he spoke, he was choked up. “Kate was. It didn’t matter, she was shot in the head.”

Abby continued yelling at him, tears running from her eyes. “What about Tim? Why wasn’t he wearing one?” He looked up at her and saw the hurt in her eyes. “I don’t know Abby.”

She stared at him for a few seconds. “I hate you!” Abby actually thought she saw tears in his eyes. He looked at her for a few more seconds then turned and walked down the hall.

She felt Ducky gently take her arm. “Abigail, calm down. This isn’t his fault you know.” She turned and looked at him. As much as she wanted to yell at him too, she just couldn’t.

She wiped her eyes. “Yes it is. If he weren’t so bent on catching Ari none of this would have happened. Kate would still be alive and Tim wouldn’t be...” She trailed off, finally breaking down into body wracking sobs.

Ducky led her over to a chair next to Tony and sat her down. “Abigail, I know you’re angry, but you really need to calm down. Not just for your sake either. I’m going to go see if I can find out anything more about Timothy. Will you be all right here with Anthony?” She nodded and wiped at her eyes again.

Ducky went off to find a doctor and Abby sat with Tony. He had not said a word since she arrived. She looked at him and he was staring off into space. She took his hand and gently squeezed. “Hey Tony.”

He turned and looked at her, tears running down his cheeks. “Hey Abbs.” he said in almost a whisper.

She put her head on his shoulder. “I’m so sorry Tony. I know you and Kate were close.”

He squeezed her hand. “Thanks Abbs. You know he’s going to pull through, right?” She sat up and looked at him. He gave her a sad smile. “Come on Abbs. We all know you have a thing for McGee.”

“More than you know.” she mumbled.

“What?”

She sighed. “I might as well tell you. You’re going to find out soon enough. I’m pregnant Tony.” She was surprised by the smile that lit up his face despite the current situation.

“No kidding? We’re going to have a little probie running around soon?” Abby nodded. “That’s great Abbs. I know Tim’s going to make it now.”

She started tearing up again. Tony’s smiled faded.

“He doesn’t know, does he?”

She shook her head. “I was too afraid to tell him. It’s a really long story. God Tony, he has to make it. What am I going to do without him?”

“Hey! Don’t you talk like that. Tim’s going to make it. Do you hear me?”

She was pretty sure he was saying that for his own benefit as much as hers. “Even though I pick on him and tease him, I care about Tim you know. He’s a good guy.”

Abby nodded again. “I know Tony. Tim knows too. He thinks a lot of you.”

Tony gave her a smile. She took his hand again and stood up, pulling him with her. “Come on, let’s go get cleaned up and get some coffee or something while we wait for Ducky.”

Tony agreed and they walked down the hall hand in hand.

After Tony and Abby got themselves together and got some coffee, they sat and talked. About fifteen minutes later Ducky reappeared. Abby stood and looked at him hopefully.

“Ducky? Any word?”

“Yes. He made it through the surgery and is in recovery. He will be moved to the ICU after that. He’s still in very critical condition. The graze wound to his head required a few stitches. He was extremely lucky. A few more centimeters further and...” He saw Abby pale. “Well, he was very fortunate. One of the bullets hit his lung and caused it to collapse, but they were able to repair the damage. The other bullet was very close to his heart. They were able to remove it and repair the damage as well. That was what caused him to go into cardiac arrest. He’s got a long recovery ahead of him, but they are expecting him to pull through.”

Abby let out the breath she hadn’t realized she was holding. “Thank God.”

Tony stood and hugged her. “See Abbs, I told you. He’s tougher than he looks.”

“Can we see him?” Abby asked.

“Not yet. They said once he was moved to the ICU we may be able to briefly see him.” At the risk of making Abby angry, Ducky asked another question. “Have you seen Jethro?” Her jaw tightened in anger.

Tony gently squeezed her shoulder. “No Duck, we haven’t” Ducky just nodded. They all sat down and waited for the doctor to tell them they could see Tim.

Almost two hours later, Tim’s doctor walked into the waiting room. Abby was asleep leaning on Tony’s shoulder and Ducky was reading a magazine.

"Doctor Mallard."

Ducky stood up and shook hands with him. "Good to see you again doctor Harmon. How's young Timothy?"

“He’s stable. We’ve moved him to the ICU. If you would like you can see him for a short while.”

Tony woke Abby up. Ducky nodded. “Yes. That would be great. I’m sure Abigail here would love to see Timothy.”

Abby perked up. “We can see him?”

The doctor smiled. “Yes, but briefly. He needs to rest. He’s got a long road ahead of him.” They followed the doctor to Tim’s room.

They walked into Tim’s room and Tony felt Abby tighten her grip on his hand when she looked at him. He was unconscious and was on a ventilator to help him breathe. His face was deathly pale. He had a bandage on his head and numerous IV’s. Abby felt Ducky put his arm around her shoulders.

“Abigail, I assure you it’s not as bad as it looks. Most of the IV’s are antibiotics and fluids to prevent dehydration. The ventilator was necessary to help his collapsed lung function. It will only be temporary.”

Abby sort of heard Ducky’s explanation, she was grateful that he was trying to calm her fears, but her mind was running a mile a minute. She walked over to the side of his bed and gently stroked his cheek. He looked so peaceful and innocent. She forgot all of her anger towards him and vowed that she would tell him about the baby as soon as he woke up.

When the nurse told them they had to leave, Abby managed to talk her into letting her stay. Ducky and Tony had left after Abby swore she would be fine and would call them if anything changed. They told her they would be back first thing in the morning. She sat by Tim’s bed just watching him until she drifted off to sleep.

Abby stirred when she heard someone moving in the room. She opened her eyes to see a nurse changing the IV bags and checking on Tim.

The nurse smiled at her gently. “Good morning.”

Abby stood and stretched. “How is he?” She looked at him. His color had improved greatly and the bandage was gone from his head.

“Holding his own. No fever, which is good news. The doctor is going to evaluate him later to see if the ventilator can be removed. He’s very lucky.”

Abby stood by the bed again and gently ran her fingers through his hair. She could see where the bullet had grazed his head, just above his left ear. They had shaved a small patch of hair and she counted five stitches. She nodded in silent agreement and felt the tears forming in her eyes once again. The nurse gave her a sympathetic look and a smile before finishing up and leaving the room. Abby pulled the chair closer to the bed and sat down, taking Tim’s hand in hers. She rubbed the back of his hand with her thumb.

“Hey Tim, I wanted you to know I don’t hate you. In fact I love you more than you know. I never really told you that, have I? I need you to come back to me Tim. I need you so bad. I’m so afraid. I can’t do this alone Tim.” She started sobbing. “Please Tim. You have to wake up. I have to tell you something really important. Please. I love you Tim.”

Abby turned when she heard the door squeak and saw a young woman bearing a strong resemblance to Tim standing there.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt. You must be Abby. Tim’s said so much about you.”

Abby stood and looked slightly confused.

“Oh, I’m sorry. I’m Rebecca McGee. Tim’s sister. Mister Gibbs called us. Mom and dad are out of town, but are on their way here.”

Abby smiled at her. She remembered Tim saying he had a sister, but never remembered hearing her name. It made her sad. She realized just how little they knew about each other after all the time they had dated.

“I know you and Tim are close, but he never mentioned being engaged.”

Abby blushed. “Oh, well we’re not. I told the nurse that so she would let me stay.”

Rebecca walked over and stood next to Abby at the bed. “How is he doing?” She asked as she gently brushed the hair back from his forehead.

“Nurse said he was doing well. They are supposed to see about removing the ventilator later on.”

Abby saw a tear run down Rebecca’s cheek. “How did this happen?”

Abby felt her anger returning at the question. She had to get herself under control. She didn’t want to upset Tim’s sister any more that she already was. “How about we get some breakfast and talk Rebecca?”

“Please call me Becca.” Abby smiled at her and the two of them went to the cafeteria to get something to eat.

After Abby explained what happened to Kate and Tim, the two of them shared a few tears. Then the subject turned to Tim and Abby’s relationship. Abby sat and listed in amazement as Becca told her how upset Tim had been after the last time they broke up. Abby had assumed he didn’t care because he hadn’t made any attempt to talk to her outside of work.

“Tim called me in tears asking me how he could win you back. He told me he had made a huge mistake. He said he was afraid to go to you because he was scared that you would reject him and he would be crushed.” Then Becca told her something that made her heart skip a beat. “I probably shouldn’t tell you this Abby, but when I made mention of you and Tim being engaged, you looked so disappointed when you said you weren’t. I think I should tell you. Tim called me the other day and wanted me to go shopping with him this weekend.”

Abby didn’t catch on. “For what?”

“He wanted a woman’s opinion on the ring he was going to pick out.”

Abby stared at her in shock.

“He didn’t tell anyone. Not even our parents. He didn’t want to tell them in case it didn’t work out. He has been a nervous wreck. What happened between you two?”

Abby’s eyes dropped to the table. She really didn’t want to tell Becca about Michelle. “We just had a falling out about something that escalated into a huge deal.” She could tell Becca understood that she didn’t want to go into detail. She was really beginning to like her.

She sighed. “Speaking of things nobody knows, I guess I should tell you something.”

“What’s that?”

Abby smiled a sad smile. “I’m pregnant.”

Becca’s face lit up like Tony’s had when she told him. “Oh my gosh! Congratulations! Wait, you said nobody knows. That includes Tim I’m guessing.”

“Well there are two people who know, they only found out yesterday, but no, Tim doesn’t know. I was scared to tell him because I was afraid he would freak out and leave for good.”

“How far?”

“Going on six week.”

“Six weeks? Wow, sounds like you guys have some talking to do when he wakes up.”

“Yeah, we do.”

Becca’s cell phone rang. “That’s probably mom and dad.” She answered the phone and told her parents where to meet her and Abby. After hanging up she looked at Abby. “I won’t tell anyone about the baby. I think that is something you and Tim should announce when he is up for it.”

“Thanks. I won’t tell Tim you told me about the ring. Thanks Becca. Thanks for everything.”

“No problem. At least we know we will like each other when we are in-laws.” Abby actually laughed.

She had a feeling she was going to like being a member of the McGee family.

Tony and Ducky arrived at the hospital to find Abby sitting in the hall outside Tim’s room.

“Hey Abbs, everything OK?” Tony asked as he sat down next to her.

“Yeah. Tim’s family is here and I thought I’d give them some time alone. The doctor said he’s doing really well. They are supposed to evaluate his breathing later today to see if they can remove the ventilator.”

She looked up at Ducky. “Have you found Gibbs yet?”

Ducky nodded. “Yes, last I saw him, he was passed out drunk in his basement. He’s been placed on mandatory leave for a least two weeks. I heard he had words with the director. I think he’s taking this pretty hard.”

Abby frowned. “I shouldn’t have yelled at him. I was just so mad. He’s just so stubborn.”

Tony laughed. “You think so?”

Abby smiled and put her arm around Tony’s shoulders. “Almost as much as you. Come on, let’s go see Tim. I want you to meet his family.” Abby and Tony stood up and the three of them went in to see Tim.

Tim’s mom and dad were standing next to the bed and Becca was sitting in the chair on the other side.

“Hey Abby.”

“Hey Becca.”

Abby introduced everyone. “Mister and misses McGee, Becca, this is Tony and Ducky. They work with Tim and I. Tony, Ducky this is Tim’s sister, Rebecca, and his parents, Suzana and Thomas.”

They all said their hellos. They spent some time talking about Tim and what had happened to him and Kate. That afternoon, Tim was taken off the respirator after the doctor determined he was breathing well enough on his own.

Early in the evening, Tim’s parents and sister had left to get some dinner and Ducky and Tony had gone off for a meeting with the director. Abby sat by Tim’s bed watching him sleep. He looked so peaceful. She stood up and stretched and kissed him gently before walking over to stand by the window. She was staring out at the sunset when she heard the door open.

She turned and saw Gibbs standing there. “Thought I’d find you here.” he said softly.

“Hey Gibbs.”

“So how’s he doing?”

She walked back to Tim’s side and gently brushed is hair back from his forehead. “Better. He’s breathing on his own now. He’s going to be pretty sore for a while, but he’s going to recover.”

Gibbs bowed his head. “That’s good. Listen Abby, about what happened...”

“No, Gibbs. I was wrong to blame you. I was just so mad. I’m sorry I took it out on you. I know you must be hurting.” Gibbs nodded silently.

“You know you don’t have to keep up that stone wall around me. It’s OK if you want to talk or something.”

To Abby’s surprise, he looked up at her with tears running down his cheeks. “I’m so sorry Abbs.”

She felt herself begin to cry as she walked around the bed and hugged Gibbs. “Don’t be. It wasn’t your fault. Come on, sit with me for a while, we can talk.” She led Gibbs over to the chair and sat him down. She pulled up another for herself.

“Thanks Abbs.”

“No problem. That’s what friends are for after all.”

Abby and Gibbs sat and talked for the better part of the evening. After he left, Abby fell asleep in the chair next to Tim’s bed.

She woke up as the sun was coming up. She once again found herself standing at the window. She felt the tears falling from her eyes as she thought about everything that had happened in the last few days. She didn’t notice when Tim opened his eyes. It took him a few minutes to clear his vision. He could see her standing, staring out the window.

“Abbs?”

She spun around at the sound of his voice. “Tim!” She went to his side and took his hand.

“Are you crying?”

She nodded. “Yeah, I was so worried about you. I’m so glad you’re awake.” She smiled at him. “How do you feel?”

“Tired. Sore. What happened? I remember going to Norfolk with Gibbs, Tony and Kate. When we got there, things went crazy. I don’t remember a lot after the shooting started.”

“Well, you’re still in Norfolk. You took two shots to the chest and one grazed your head. You were really lucky. You gave us all a scare.”

“Where is everyone else?” She didn’t know how to tell him about Kate. “Well, your parents and sister were here. Tony and Ducky have been checking up on you. Gibbs stopped by last night.” She started crying.

“Abbs? What’s wrong? Tell me.” Before she could answer, a nurse came in the room.

“Mister McGee, so glad to see you awake.” The nurse smiled at Abby as she wiped her eyes. She let go of Tim’s hand and stepped back as the nurse checked his vitals and changed one of his IV bags. “You’re a lucky one, you know. This little lady hasn’t left your side since you came in. I think she likes you.” She smiled and winked at Tim, who glanced over at Abby.

Abby blushed and smiled. Tim smiled at the nurse. “I think so to.”

“I’ll tell doctor Harmon you’re awake, I’m sure he will want to see you.” She patted Tim on his arm and left the two of them alone again.

His expression turned serious again. “Abby?”

“You should rest Tim, we can talk later.”

“No Abby. Tell me what’s going on.” He weakly lifted his hand from the bed and she moved to take it in hers.

“I don’t know how to tell you Tim.” She broke down sobbing. “Oh God Tim. Kate...”

He felt a lump in his throat when he spoke. “What about Kate?”

“She’s dead. She was shot in the head. Ducky said she died instantly.”

“Oh God.” he whispered.

She saw the tears run down his face. She reached up and gently wiped them away. “Rest Tim. You need to build up your strength. I’ll be here when you wake up.”

He squeezed her hand slightly. “Abbs, I’m so sorry.”

“Don’t, Save your strength. Go to sleep. We’ll talk when you wake up.” She leaned down and kissed him and brushed away another tear. “Get some rest.”

He nodded and closed his eyes. “Abby?”

“Yeah Tim.”

“I love you.”

“I love you too Tim.” He smiled and she held his hand until he drifted off to sleep. She sat back down in her chair and thought about how she was going to tell Tim about the baby.

A few hours later, Tim’s parents and sister came by. Abby updated them and told them he had been awake earlier. Becca gave her a questioning look and Abby shook her head slightly. Abby excused herself saying she need to get some fresh air.

As she was walking down the hall she heard Becca call her name. She stopped and waited for her to catch up. “Want some company?”

“Sure.”

They went outside and walked across the street to a small park. “You didn’t tell him?”

“No. After I told him about Kate, he was so upset. I didn’t want to give him too much to handle.”

“Don’t worry, he’s a big boy, he can handle it.”

Abby smiled. “I know. I just didn’t want to get him too worked up. After things calm down tonight I’ll tell him. I promise.”

“Hey, that’s your decision Abby. I’m not passing judgment or anything. I know he’s going to be so excited when you tell him.

“You think so?”

“Absolutely. Don’t worry, Tim’s going to be a great father.”

Abby smiled brightly thinking about Tim being a dad. Her and Becca walked around for another ten minutes, just enjoying the sunshine before heading back to Tim’s room.

As they neared the front door, Abby spotted Tony coming across the parking lot. She waived at him and he smiled. They waited for him to reach them.

“Hey Abbs, hi Becca. How’s Tim doing?”

“Better. He woke up this morning.”

“Cool.”

“How are you doing Tony?”

“I’m hanging in there. I’ve been placed on leave, but I’m doing OK. I haven’t heard from Gibbs though.”

“He came by last night.”

“Really? How did it go?”

“Well. I think he’s taking it pretty hard, but we talked and we’re all good now.”

“Good.” They walked inside and waited for the elevator. “Oh, I brought you some things Abby.”

He handed her the overnight bag he had on his shoulder. “Since I knew you wouldn’t go home, I brought you some clothes, your toothbrush and some other things I thought you might need.”

“That’s so sweet Tony. Wait, how did you get into my place?”

Tony gave her a smile. The elevator arrived and they got on. Abby looked at him.

“Well?”

“I picked your lock.”

“Tony!”

“Don’t worry, I locked up when I left. I hope you don’t mind that I went through your underwear drawer though.”

She playfully punched his arm. “You are so bad Tony. But thank you. I really appreciate it.” Becca laughed at them as Abby gave Tony a kiss on the cheek. They reached their floor and headed down the hall together to see Tim.

The rest of the day passed relatively quickly. Tim’s family stayed most of the day as did Tony. Ducky and Gibbs stopped by in the afternoon and stayed for a bit. After visiting hours were over, Abby and Tim were alone again. Abby told Tim to get some rest while she took a shower.

A short while later, Abby emerged from the bathroom to find Tim still awake. Her hair was wet and down around her shoulders and she wasn’t wearing any makeup. He smiled at her.

“I thought you were going to get some sleep.”

“Actually, I’m not very tired."

She realized he was staring at her as she put her things in her bag. “What?”

“You’re beautiful.”

She blushed. “Stop it. I look like crap.”

“No you don’t.”

She rolled her eyes at him. “I think we need to talk Abby.”

She nodded. “Yeah, I think we do.”

“God Abbs, I’m so sorry. I screwed things up so bad. I miss you so much. Do you think you can ever forgive me? I love you Abby. Please forgive me.”

She smiled and walked over to the bed, taking his hand in hers. “I’ve missed you too Tim.” She hesitated.

“What’s wrong Abby?” He was scared to death that she was going to say ’Yeah, I miss you too, but I can’t forgive you.’

He squeezed her hand. “Abbs?”

“I’m pregnant Tim.” she blurted out.

He stared at her, dumbfounded. “God Tim, I never meant for it to happen. I’m so sorry. Please don’t be mad. I’ll understand if...”

“Abby!” he cut off her rambling. She felt her stomach knot as she waited for his response. “Why on earth would I be mad? I wasn’t expecting it, but I certainly am not mad. How far along are you?”

She lowered her head. “Six weeks. I was so afraid to tell you.”

“Why?”

“I didn’t know how you would handle it. I was so afraid you would leave me. I didn’t want to go through this alone. I couldn‘t handle you walking away from me and the baby.”

“Abby honey, you know I would never do that. I love you so much. I’m so sorry for all the hurt I put you through. I want you and I want this baby so bad. It took me almost getting killed to realize what a jerk I have been to you. I was so stupid. Do you think we can make this work?”

She nodded at him. “Yeah, I think we’re going to be just fine.”

He gently pulled her closer and kissed her. “I love you Abby.” he whispered to her.

“I love you too Tim.” They kissed again just as the nurse came in the room.

“Well, I see you’re feeling better mister McGee.” she said playfully.

Tim gently caressed Abby’s cheek and smiled. “I’m feeling fantastic.”

After the nurse finished and left, they sat and talked until Tim faded off to sleep. Abby sat by his bed watching him. For the first time in days, she actually felt truly happy.

The next morning, Tim awoke to find Abby putting on her makeup and fixing her hair.

“Hey you, got a hot date?” he said playfully.

She looked at him and gave him a sad smile. “Actually, Kate’s funeral is today.”

“Oh, sorry.”

She was teary eyed. “Don’t be sorry, you didn’t know. I have to leave shortly to get to DC on time. I’ll be back later tonight. Are you going to be all right?”

“Yeah, I’m sure my parents will be here later.”

“Speaking of your parents, when are we going to tell them about the baby?”

“They don’t know?”

She shook her head. “Tony and Ducky know. Becca does too. Nobody else does though. I wanted to wait until you were feeling up to it to tell your mom and dad.”

“Does Gibbs know?”

She smiled at him. “No. Why? Are you afraid of what he’s going to do to you when he finds out?”

He laughed. “No, but I want to see the look on his face.”

She finished her hair and walked over to the bed. “Yeah, me too. It should be interesting.”

She kissed him then patted him on the arm. “I gotta get going. I’ll see you later tonight.”

He nodded. “I love you Abbs” he said as she headed out the door.

She smiled. “I love you too Tim.”

--------------------------------------------------------

She spent the drive to DC thinking about anything but Kate. She didn’t want to get herself more depressed than she was going to be. She was running baby names through her head, trying to figure out what it was going to be like once the baby arrived and how Tim was going to be a great dad. She reached the cemetery and parked the car. She walked over to Gibbs, Ducky and Tony.

“Hi guys.” She noticed how rough Tony looked. “Are you going to be okay?” she asked as she took his hand.

“Yeah, I think so.”
She squeezed his hand. “Remember, I’m always here if you need to talk. I’m only a phone call away.”

He smiled at her with tears in his eyes. “Thanks Abbs. Don’t worry; you’ll be the first one I call.”

She hugged him then they all walked over to where the service was being held.

After the service they went to the wake. Many tears were shed and many storied were shared. Afterwards, she and Tony went for coffee. They sat and talked for hours. She told Tony she had told Tim about the baby and he was excited about it. Tony had smiled and said ‘I told you so’. Before she realize it, it was getting late in the evening. She called Tim at the hospital and he told her to stay at home for the night. He didn’t want her driving all the way back to Norfolk when she was tired and upset. Plus he said she needed a break since she had practically lived in the hospital since he arrived. After promising he we be okay without her, she finally agreed to go home, telling him she would be back in the morning. Tony and Abby finished up at the coffee shop and after giving Tony a hug and a kiss on the cheek, she went home. She laid in her bed that night with her hands on her stomach thinking about her and Tim’s future. She fell asleep with a smile on her face.

Abby arrived at the hospital the next morning to find that Tim had been moved to a new room. When she walked into the room, she was pleasantly surprised to see Tim was up and out of bed.

She smiled at him as the nurse helped him walk around a little. “So, I see you’re on your way to running in a marathon,” she joked.

He laughed at her. “Yeah right. Doc wanted me to get up and move a little, get my legs going again. Never thought walking could be so hard.”

“Well, you look like you’re doing just fine to me.”

He nodded a little. “He said if I keep improving, I could be out of here pretty soon.”

“Cool.”

The nurse helped Tim sit down in a chair next to the bed. She helped him get settled and told him to call her if he needed anything, He thanked her and she left the room. Abby walked over and carefully sat on the arm of the chair.

“You really do look great. I think you’ve surprised all of us by how quick you’ve bounced back.”

“Well I had good reason.” He reached over and gently placed his hand on her stomach.

“Are your parents coining by today?”

He nodded. “Mom called this morning and said they would be by later today.”

“Do you want to tell them tonight?”

He smiled. “Yeah. I think they’re going to be really happy. When are we going to tell Gibbs?”

“Tell me what?” They both looked to see Gibbs standing there with a smile on his face.

“Jesus Gibbs, I hate it when you do that,” Abby said.

“Well?”

“Well what?”

“What is it that you aren’t telling me?”

Abby glanced at Tim, who looked like he was afraid for his life. She found that amusing since he had denied being afraid of Gibbs earlier. She decided to test the waters. She smiled. “Tim and I are dating.”

“Tell me something I haven’t already figured out on my own.” Gibbs smiled back at her.

“Okay then, I’m pregnant.”

Tim closed his eyes and waited for the shouting to begin. Instead, he heard Gibbs respond “Well, wasn’t expecting that one. Congratulations.”

Tim looked at Gibbs, his expression still fearful. “Relax McGee; I’m not going to yell. Now, you better take good care of Abby here. If she says one bad thing about you, I’m coming after you.”

Tim nodded nervously. “Yes sir.”

Abby laughed and stood up. She walked over to Gibbs and gave him a hug. “Thanks boss man. Don’t worry about Tim. He knows you and Tony will both take him out.”

“Tony knows?”

“Yeah, and Ducky too. Oh, and Tim’s sister.”

“Well, I’m glad you decided to tell me before the baby was born,” he said jokingly.

Abby liked this new side of Gibbs. It saddened her though that it took the events of recent days to cause him to lighten up. She thought to herself that she knew somewhere behind his tough shell was a softer side of him.

The three of them sat and talked for a while. Gibbs had left telling them he had another meeting with the director. Tim’s parents stopped by later on and they shared the news about the baby with them. They were so excited.

After visiting hours, Doctor Harmon stopped in to check on Tim. Both Abby and Tim were happy to hear that Tim was recovering rather well and would most likely be released in another two or three days.

When Tim was released from the hospital, Abby moved in with him. Tony, Gibbs and Ducky had helped her move all her things to his apartment. After a few days, Abby went back to work.

Almost two months after that Tim was released by his doctor for desk work. Gibbs, Tony, Ducky and Abby gave him a small welcome back party upon his return. It was then that Gibbs gave Tim the news that he was no longer a probationary agent.

Tony had jokingly pouted and complained about not having anyone to call ‘probie’ anymore. Tim had laughed and told him he was free to call him that anytime. He was touched when Tony responded very seriously that Tim had earned his promotion and the respect that went along with it. He felt so lucky to work with the people he considered his extended family.

The weeks continued to fly past after his return. Abby’s pregnancy progressed beautifully and Tim was cleared for field duty again. In the fall, Abby and Tim bought a house together. Abby was starting to show and was amused at how Tim would spend every extra minute he had working on the nursery. She enjoyed that he would wait on her hand and foot as well.

Gibbs, Tony and Ducky were worse. They doted on her at work and did everything for her. Gibbs would come in her lab, smiling from ear to ear, and put his hands on her stomach to feel the baby kick. She had a feeling that Gibbs was going to spoil the baby rotten.

Tony would constantly check on her, asking if she was okay until she would get annoyed and tell him to go away.

Ducky was still the same old Ducky. He would ramble on about anything even remotely related to babies when she was around. She sat in her lab one day and realized just how lucky she was and how she wouldn’t change a thing.

In early December, Tim and Becca threw a surprise baby shower. Everyone Abby knew was there, even Tony and Gibbs. After she opened her last baby gift, Tim handed her a small gift.

She looked at him suspiciously as everyone else watched. She opened the box and gasped. She looked at him with tears in her eyes.

He smiled at her and got down on his knee in front of her. “Abbs, we’ve been through so much this year. Some good, some not so good. I almost lost you once and I’m not taking that chance again. I think you know how much I love you.”

He took the ring from the box and slipped it on her finger. “Abby, will you do me the honor of marrying me?”

She started to cry. “Oh Tim. I love you. Of course I will marry you.”

Everyone cheered as Tim helped her to her feet and hugged her.

“You’ve made me so happy Abbs. God I love you,” he whispered in her ear. He kissed her and held her tightly.

Later that night, Abby and Tim were lying in bed. Abby was snuggled up next to him, her head resting on his shoulder. She traced the fading scars on his chest, reminding her of how close she had been to losing him.

“Tim, I want to get married before the baby is born.”

“I thought you said you wanted to wait, have the wedding after.”

“We can have a wedding after, but I want to be married before the baby is here.”

“Okay, I guess we can go to the courthouse. When do you want to do it?”

“Tomorrow,”

“Tomorrow? Wow, you really mean it.”

“Yes I do Tim. Do you?”

He kissed her forehead. “Of course I do honey. I just want to make sure my parents and sister can be there, and Gibbs, Tony and Ducky too. Can we wait just a couple of days?”

“Sure. I wasn’t thinking about that.”

He put his hands on her ever growing stomach. He could feel the baby kicking. “I love you so much Abby, and I love the fact that you’re having my baby. You don’t know how happy I am Abby. I feel so lucky to have you here with me.”

He shifted and spooned up behind her, holding her tightly. He kissed her neck. “I love you Abbs.”

“I love you too Tim.” Abby fell asleep in Tim’s arms after he gently made love to her, dreaming about what was in store for them.


Several days later, they were married in the company of their closest family and friends. They had decided to have a larger wedding sometime in the spring after the baby was born. Things were hectic for them now, Christmas was less than two weeks away and Abby was now a little over four weeks from her due date of January 13th.

Ignoring Gibbs request for her to go on maternity leave, she still continued to work, telling him she would rather be there than sitting on her butt getting fatter. Her hormones were kicking in and everyone at work was getting used to her crying for no reason.

Tony and Tim continued to bond further. On more than one occasion, Tony had gone to the lab to talk to Abby when Tim had come in to his desk nearly in tears. Even Gibbs had given Tim a few pep talks on the days where Tim looked like he was at the end of his rope. He loved Abby to death, but he was having a hard time dealing with her mood swings.

One particularly bad morning, two days before Christmas, Tony came in to find Tim sitting at his desk playing with his wedding band and on the verge of crying.

“Man, do I need to go see Abby again? What happened Tim?”

“We had a fight. I slept on the couch.”

“Ouch, what did you fight about?”

“I told her I wanted her to stay home after the baby was born. She wasn’t very receptive to the idea. Things got crazy and we said some things we shouldn’t have. God Tony, we haven’t had a fight since before I got shot. I don’t want us to be mad at each other, especially at Christmas. My family is coming over tomorrow. She won’t even talk to me.”

“Who won’t talk to you?” Gibbs said as he walked into the bullpen.

“Abby.”

“What did you do to her?"

Tim looked at Tony nervously. Tony spoke to Gibbs. “He didn’t do anything to her boss. They are just having a bad day.”

“I’ll go see her,” he said as he turned back around and headed for her lab.

“Thanks Tony.” Tim said gratefully.

Tony just smiled and walked over to sit at his desk.

Gibbs walked into Abby’s lab to find her sobbing at her computer.

“Abbs.”

She turned to see Gibbs in the doorway.

“Hey Gibbs. You haven’t hurt McGee have you? It wasn’t totally his fault.”

Gibbs smiled and walked over and sat on the edge of her table. “Nah, he was scared though.”

She laughed a little.

“So, want to talk about it?”

She wiped her eyes. “Sure, it was really stupid actually. It started out with him saying he wanted me to stay home after the baby came. Of course I objected. I don’t know how, but things went down hill from there. We had a huge fight. He slept on the couch. I hate fighting with him. We haven’t fought since before he was hurt.”

Gibbs laughed slightly. “Abbs let me tell you something. Trust me, after being married three times, I can honestly tell you there is no such thing as a perfect relationship. You guys are going to disagree about things. Throw in Christmas and you being pregnant, of course you guys are going to be stressed. He’s upstairs looking like a lost puppy right now. He’s just as upset as you. Talk to him. I’ve learned that too. Lack of communication is not good. Sorry can go a long way.”

She stared at him in disbelief, he surprised her.

“Wow Gibbs. I never thought of you as the type to give marriage advice.” She smiled as he laughed at her.

“Yeah, I know,” He stood up and headed to the door. “I’m sending McGee down here and you two better work this out, you hear me?”


Tim peeked into Abby’s lab. She was sitting in her chair, absently caressing her stomach. She looked up at him when he walked in the door.

“Hey Abbs.”

She burst into tears and he went to her. He pulled her up from the chair and held her. “Please don’t cry Abby. I hate it when you cry. I’m sorry I upset you last night. I was being such a jerk.”

She pulled back slightly and looked at him. “I’m sorry too. I shouldn’t have yelled at you.”

He brushed a tear from her cheek. “I’m worried about you Abbs. Are you all right?”

“I’m sorry Tim.”

“Abby honey, please talk to me, tell me what’s wrong.”

“I’m just…I don’t know what. God Tim, I feel like a cow. I can’t see my feet, I can’t pick things up when I drop them and even my maternity clothes are not fitting right. I cry at the drop of a hat. The stupidest things upset me. I’m just so mixed up right now. I shouldn’t be taking it out on you though.” She started tearing up again.

He gently framed her face with his hands and kissed her. “Abby, you are more beautiful than ever. Don’t you dare for one second think any different.”

“I’m scared Tim. I’m worried that I am going to screw things up. I get so upset when I think about being a mom. I’m afraid I won’t know what to do, I keep thinking that after the baby is born, I’m still going to be all fat and stuff and you won’t…”

“Stop it Abby. Just stop.” He put his hands on her stomach. “Seeing you like this is the best thing I have ever laid eyes on. This baby means so much to me. You mean so much to me. We are going to be fine. You are going to be a great mother. I know it. You are one of the most loving and caring people I have ever known. You are not alone here Abby. You know I will do anything for you. I love you Abby, and nothing is ever going to change that. Do you understand?”

She nodded.

“Please don’t do this to yourself Abbs. Promise me.”

She put her hands on top of his and smiled at him “I promise.”

They both smiled when they felt the baby kick. She hugged him and he stole a quick kiss before heading back up to the bullpen. At the end of the day, everyone wished each other a good night and agreed to meet at Tim and Abby’s house for Christmas dinner.

Christmas day passed and everyone had a wonderful time at Tim and Abby’s house. New Year’s came and went and Abby finally went on maternity leave. Tim continued to work, but was a nervous wreck. He called Abby every half hour to check on her. She finally told him if he called her one more time, she would sic Gibbs on him. That calmed him down.

Early in the morning of Abby’s actual due date, Tim was sleeping soundly until Abby woke him up. “Tim? Tim, are you awake?"

She shifted as her contraction intensified. She shook him again. “Tim! Wake up!”

He mumbled something incoherent, still half asleep.

“Tim honey, this is important.” She sucked in a deep breath when another wave of pain washed over her.

Suddenly, he bolted upright. “What? Are you all right? What’s going on?”

She laughed at him. “Calm down. It’s all right, but I think we need to think about getting to the hospital.”

He was still more asleep than awake. “Huh?”

She rubbed her swollen belly to remind him.

“Oh! Oh yeah.” He jumped up from the bed and began getting dressed. “What do you want me to do Abby?”

“First, you need to calm down. The contractions are about fifteen minutes apart and...” she stopped abruptly and stared at him wide eyed.

“What? Abby, what’s going on?”

“My water just broke Tim.”

He started freaking out. “Oh my God! What do you want me to do?”

She laughed again. “You are more nervous than I am. Stay calm babe. I need you to help me up so I can get cleaned up and dressed. You need to call Doctor Alexander to meet us at the hospital.”

He gently helped her up from the bed and to the bathroom. He stood watching her as she took off her wet nightclothes. “What Tim? What are you thinking?” She put on a bra and a clean shirt.

He walked to her and put his hands on her stomach. “You are so beautiful Abby. This is really it, isn’t it? I was just thinking this will be the last time I see you like this. You are absolutely glowing Abby. I can’t wait to see the baby. Our baby. God Abby, I love you more than you can imagine.”

She saw the tears welling up in his eyes and smiled softly at him.

“Oh Tim.” She hugged him the best she could, her stomach keeping her from holding him the way she really wanted to.

Suddenly, a really strong contraction hit. Even Tim felt her stomach tighten. He held her until it passed. “Time to go Tim. You call the doctor and I’ll finish getting dressed. Okay?”

“Yeah, you sure you will be okay?”

“Yes, I’m fine.” He turned to go to the phone, but turned back to face her when she spoke. “Oh, and call you parents. And Becca.”

He turned again.

“Oh, and Tim?”

He turned around once more.

“I love you too honey.”

He smiled and went to make his phone calls.

Four hours later, Abby lay sweating profusely and panting in determination as another contraction seized her body. Tim sat next to her bed feeling completely helpless. Becca sat in another chair beside him. His parents had gone to get breakfast. Once the contraction passed and her breathing eased, he squeezed her hand.

“I love you Abbs. I wish I could do something for you.”

She smiled at him “It’s okay. It’s really not so bad.”

Doctor Alexander came in to check on Abby’s progress. She smiled at the three of them. “Hey Abby, how are you feeling? Need any pain meds?”

“Nah, I’m doing all right”

“How about you Tim? You hanging in there?”

“So far, so good.” He held Abby’s hand as the doctor checked things out.

“Looks good Abby. You’re about six centimeters and progressing nicely. Shouldn’t be too much longer now. Do you need anything?”

“No, I’m good.”

“Well, just let me know if you do.”

“I will.” The doctor left the room just as Tim’s parents came back.

“How are things going?” his mom asked as she handed him a soda.

“Really good. She’s at six centimeters.”

“That’s good news. Are you sure you don’t want anything to eat Tim?”

“Nah, I’m too worked up to eat. I’m fine.”

She smiled then patted him on the arm. She looked at Abby.

“I think you’re doing better than he is Abby.” She smiled at her.

“Yeah, well you know how men are.”

Tim rolled his eyes as the girls laughed.

After another two hours, he was getting accustomed to Abby’s wailing and was beginning to know when to expect her contractions, Ducky had arrived about twenty minutes earlier and was talking to Tim’s dad when Tony and Gibbs came into the room.

She smiled at them, her face looking tired. Tony took her hand.

“Hey Abbs. How are you holding up?”

“Pretty good. The doctor was in a few minutes ago said I was just about at ten centimeters, could go any minute.”

“Cool,” He looked at Tim, who looked just as frazzled as Abby. “Hey Tim. You ready for this man?”

Tim smiled at him. “You bet.”

Abby moaned again and Tony stood watching as she panted and groaned her way through another contraction.

After she relaxed again, he brushed his hand across her check. “Want me to kick his butt for you Abbs?”

Abby laughed. “No. Don’t worry. He’ll have plenty of time to make it up to me.”

She looked over at Gibbs, who was standing a little behind Tony with a grin on his face.

“Hey you, are you going to say hi or are you going to stand there all day?”

He laughed and walked over to her side. “Of course I was going to say hi. How are you doing? McGee here taking good care of you?”

She smiled when she saw Tim flinch.

“Of course. Don’t worry Gibbs. He knows the consequences if he don’t.” Abby laughed then inhaled sharply. Her body tightened in a way it hadn’t before. She cried out in pain.

"Ahhh, get the doctor!”

Tim started to panic. Becca went to get Doctor Alexander.

“What Abby? What’s wrong?”

“Nothing wrong. Just feel like I want to push. Baby’s coming.”

“Really?” he asked almost stupidly.

“Yeah Tim, that is what we are here for you know.”

Tony, Gibbs, Ducky and Tim’s parents laughed.

Abby wailed again. “Oh God Tim! It really hurts!”

“Come on Abby, don’t get all freaked out on me now baby. I don’t know what to do here. You have to help me out.”

“Ooooh, Tim.”

He held her hand, tears running from his eyes. To his surprise, Gibbs laid a hand on his shoulder.

“Relax Tim, it’s going to be just fine.”

He looked at Gibbs, grateful for his encouragement, and smiled. Becca and Doctor Alexander came back into the room. The doctor quickly set about checking on Abby.

“So, I hear you feel like pushing. That’s good. Well, the baby’s head is down and ready to go. Let’s get you set up to push Abby.”

The next few minutes were a flurry of activity. Doctors and nurses hurried in and out of the room. The guys had excused themselves and were waiting in the hall. Becca and Tim’s mom had stayed with Abby and Tim as Abby was prepped to deliver the baby.

Abby had wanted Tim to hold her, so he had carefully climbed up on the bed with her. He was now sitting up against the back of the bed. His legs were bent and Abby rested between them, her back braced against him and her legs up against his. She panted and cried as the doctor urged her to push.

“Push Abby, come on, you’re almost there. I can see the top of the head.”

Tim smiled at his mom and Becca, who were standing next to them both.

“Come on Abby, hard push.”

She took a deep breath and pushed, holding tightly to Tim’s arms. “Ooooh God! Tim, it hurts.”

He kissed the top of her head. “I know honey, I’m sorry.”

Doctor Alexander urged her to push again. “Come on Abby, it’s going well. Push for me.”

She took another deep breath and pushed as hard as she could, crying out when the baby’s head emerged.

“Well done! The baby’s head is out. I still need you to push a little more Abby. Can you give me a little more?”

She leaned back heavily on Tim, her body shaking and sweat soaked. He pulled her hair back from her face.

“Abby, baby, are you okay?”

“God Tim, I can’t. Just can’t.”

Tears ran down his face. “Come on babe, just a little bit more.”

“I can’t. Hurts Tim.”

“Please Abbs, Come on, you can do it. It’s almost done.”

She gathered her strength and pushed with all her might. She squeezed him so hard, he knew he was going to bruise.

“Good Abby! Keep going! Here are the shoulders.”

She screamed out.

“Little more, here we go. One more big push. Ready? One, two, three!”

She pushed with the last of her strength. “Oh my God! Timothy Sean McGee! You ever touch me again I swear!”

Everyone laughed as Tim’s face turned three shades of red.

“Here we go! It’s a girl! A beautiful baby girl! Congratulations!”

Abby collapsed against Tim exhausted and crying as she heard the baby begin to wail.

“Oh Abby honey, she’s beautiful,” Tim’s mom said from beside them.

Abby smiled and squeezed Tim’s hands. “I did it honey.”

“Yes you did. I love you Abby.”

The nurse handed Abby their daughter. Tim’s mom and Becca went to tell the rest of the group the good news to give them a few minutes alone. They both stared at the baby in amazement.

“She looks like you Tim.”

The baby opened her eyes and looked at them with the most beautiful eyes. Tim’s voice hitched in his throat as he realized he was looking into Abby’s own eyes. “She has your eyes Abbs.”

“Tim, she’s so beautiful.” She gently caressed the baby’s cheek and spoke to her. “Hello my beautiful baby girl.”

Everyone came back into the room and gathered around Tim, Abby and the baby.

Abby smiled. “Everyone, I would like you to meet our beautiful baby girl. Say hello to Caitlin Angel McGee.”

Tony’s eyes clouded up with tears. “That is a beautiful name for a beautiful girl Abbs.”

He kissed Abby’s cheek and patted Tim on the shoulder. “Congrats, man. She’s absolutely perfect.”

“Thanks Tony.”

Gibbs gently rubbed his finger across the baby’s cheek. “She’s beautiful. You guys did good.”

They both smiled at Gibbs. Abby looked at the baby and spoke to her. “Caitlin, I want you to meet your family. This is grand mom and grandpa, your aunt Rebecca, your uncle Tony, uncle Jethro and uncle Ducky. They are the greatest family you would ever want.”

Abby and Caitlin were released two days later. Tim took two weeks off to help Abby out. Things were rough at first. The baby kept them awake quite often before she started to settle into a normal sleep pattern. Gibbs, Tony and Ducky had all stopped by at various times, helping them out when they could. When it came time for Tim to go back to work, Becca had offered to come over during the day to help Abby and keep her company.

Tim’s first day back was absolutely awful. He was dead tired and really didn’t want to leave Abby and the baby. The day started out bad when a new member was assigned to the team. Despite the fact that it had been almost nine months since Kate had been killed, Tony was not happy with the fact that she was sitting at Kate’s desk. Tony bickered with her all day long, which of course pissed Gibbs off. Things went downhill form there.

The case they got called out on was a real doozy. After they came back to the office, Tim fell asleep at his desk. Needless to say, Gibbs didn’t handle it too well. The new lab tech that was filling in for Abby was a real jerk, nobody liked him. Tim was so busy, he didn’t get a chance to call Abby even once. They worked well into the night before Gibbs finally let them leave. Tim was beginning to wonder if Gibbs was reverting back into his old self.

He sighed as he walked in the front door. He looked at his watch. Ten forty five. Abby was sure to be asleep. He threw his keys on the table and his jacket on a chair. He walked into the living room, stopping at the doorway. He stood, smiling from ear to ear. Abby was asleep in the recliner holding the baby. He forgot all about his miserable day just watching the two of them. They were the only two people in the world at that moment in time. He quietly walked over and picked up baby Caitlin. Abby stirred but didn’t wake up. He took his daughter to her nursery and gently laid her in her crib after giving her a kiss on the forehead.

He returned to the living room and picked Abby up from the chair.

She woke up as he carried her to their bedroom. “Hey Tim. What time is it?”

“It’s late babe. I put Caitlin in her crib. Sorry I didn’t get a chance to call you. I barely had time to breathe today.”

“Bad day?”

“You could say that.”

He laid her down gently on the bed. Before be could stand up, she pulled him to her and kissed him passionately. He pulled away slightly and smiled at her.

She gently stroked his cheek. “Feel better?”

“Much. I love you Abbs.”

“I love you too Tim. Sorry you had a crappy day.”

“It’s all right. I missed you though.”

“Want to talk about it?”

He kissed her again. “Nah. Get some rest. I’m going to grab something to eat. I’ll be back in a little bit.”

“Okay. There are leftovers in the fridge. Becca made dinner for us.”

That made him feel bad. “Abbs, I’m sorry I wasn’t home for dinner.”

“Don’t worry about it. I know how Gibbs can be.”

“Thanks Abbs.” He gave her one more kiss then headed off to the kitchen.

When he came back to the bedroom, Abby was asleep again. He smiled at her sleeping form. He changed into a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt then crawled into bed with Abby. He pulled her into his arms and held her tightly as he quickly drifted off to sleep.

The next morning, Tim went into work prepared for another lousy day. As he walked into the bullpen Gibbs stopped him and told him he wanted to talk.

He gave Tony a worried look, but Tony mouthed ‘It’s Okay' while Gibbs wasn’t looking. He was still unsure as he followed Gibbs to an empty conference room.

Gibbs closed the door and could tell Tim was worried. “Relax McGee. How are Abby and Caitlin doing?”

Confused, Tim responded. “They are fine. Abby has been doing a wonderful job. Caitlin is finally sleeping most of the night so you won’t have to worry about me falling asleep at my desk again.”

Gibbs smiled. “Yeah, about yesterday. I wanted to talk to you about that.”

Tim looked like a deer in the headlights.

Gibbs started laughing, which totally threw Tim off. “Look Tim, I’m not going to yell at you. In fact I wanted to apologize. Yesterday was a really bad day. It started out lousy and went down hill from there. I get in here to find that they dumped some new agent on me to baby sit. Like I need more headaches in my life.”

Tim gave him a look.

“Before you say it, no I didn’t think that when you came to the team. I asked for you. I knew you were going to make one hell of an agent. You had motivation and good instincts, Abby’s lucky to have you around. This new girl is just not good agent material. I can tell already. I was really pissed thinking of how this was going to make the team look. It’s not fair to you and Tony to have to pick up her slack, especially you Tim. You have a wife and baby at home waiting for you. It made me realize how much I really miss Kate. That just pissed me off even more. Tell Abby I’m sorry I kept you here half the night.”

Tim was taken aback by Gibbs honesty. “Wow. I don’t know what to say boss. Thanks.”

Gibbs smiled again. “So, have you two set a date yet?”

“No, we haven’t, we really haven’t had much of a chance to talk since Caitlin was born.”

Gibbs could hear the sadness in Tim’s voice. “You need to make time Tim.”

Tim nodded slightly.

“Tell you what; I’ll make sure you are out of here on time if you promise to do something for me.”

“What’s that?”

“You go home to Abby and you sit her down and talk to her. When you walk in here tomorrow morning, I want a date. Deal?”

Tim smiled at Gibbs. “Sure.”

“All right then, let’s get back to work. Oh, not a word of this to the new girl. I don’t want her thinking I’m anything less than the bastard I was yesterday. I already talked to DiNozzo; he knows what will happen to him if he slips up.”

“Yes sir.” Tim laughed as they walked out of the conference room.

The rest of the day went relatively smooth. As Gibbs promised, Tim was out the door on time. He stopped by the florist on the way home and got a dozen roses before heading home to Abby.

Tim arrived home to find the house empty. He found a note Becca had left for him on the kitchen table.

Tim,

Abby has no idea. We are going to mom and dad’s house. I will be waiting for you to call her.
Dinner is ready to go, all you have to do is put it in the oven. I told mom what’s up and she is going to try and talk Abby into letting her keep Caitlin for the night to give you guys a break. She is going to be so surprised!

You owe me for this mister!!

Becca

Tim smiled as he read the note. He started getting things ready and put dinner in the oven before taking a shower and changing his clothes. He called Abby from his cell phone so she wouldn’t see the house number on her caller ID.

Abby answered cheerfully. “Hey babe, are you off yet?”

“Actually, I don’t know when I’ll be out of here.”

He felt kind of bad when Abby responded, not sounding so cheerful anymore. “Oh. Is Gibbs keeping you late again?”

“Yeah. I’m really sorry honey. Where are you? I called the house and you didn’t answer.”

He tried to sound convincing.

“Oh, Becca brought me and Caitlin to your parents’ house for a visit. Your mom is going to keep Caitlin overnight. I wish you didn’t have to work so late.”

“I know. When are you heading home?”

“Soon. I guess since you are working, I can use the time alone to get some things done around the house.”

“Don’t worry about that Abbs. Just relax tonight. Maybe I can annoy Gibbs into letting me out of here and we can have the night alone.”

She smiled at the thought “Okay. I’ll call you when I get home to see how it’s going. I won’t be much longer.”

“Sounds good. I love you Abbs.”

She smiled. “I love you too Tim. I’ll see you later tonight.”

Tim hung up feeling guilty for misleading her, but knew she was going to be extremely happy when she got home.

Twenty minutes later, Becca dropped Abby off at home. She was trying hard not to give anything away. Abby sighed as she opened the door, expecting to be home alone for the night. A smile spread across her face as she saw Tim standing in the front hall holding a single long stem red rose. The house was lit only by candles.

He smiled at her. “Surprised?”

She ran to him and put her arms around him and kissed him passionately. He held her tightly for a few minutes and whispered in her ear. “I miss holding you like this.”

She kissed him again, “I miss being held Tim.”

They stood holding each other for a few more minutes before they separated. “Come on, dinner’s ready.”

She smiled again. “Becca was in on this wasn’t she?”

He nodded. “So was mom.”

She swatted him playfully on his arm “You are just too sneaky mister McGee.”

He took her hand. “But you love me anyway misses McGee.”

She squeezed his hand. “Always.”

They walked to the kitchen hand in hand.


Tim walked into the bullpen the next morning looking very happy. Tony gave him an odd look before a smile spread across his face, making Tim wonder what was up. He noticed the new agent wasn’t there.

“So where’s the new girl?” he asked Tony.

“She requested a transfer,” responded Gibbs as he walked past him.

Tim figured that was the reason Tony was smiling. “Hey boss.” Tim said as he went to his own desk. Gibbs also gave him a strange look which really made him wonder what was going on.

“So?” Gibbs asked.

“You will both be happy to know that we picked a date. April fifteenth. Abby and I want to take you two and Ducky out to lunch to discuss some details. Okay with you two?”

“Oh, so you two actually talked last night?” Tony asked, wagging his eyebrows.

“What does that mean?” Tim asked giving Tony a strange look.

“Nothing. You should have worn a different shirt today though.”

Tim looked puzzled.

Gibbs started laughing. “What DiNozzo is so subtlety trying to say is your shirt collar doesn’t cover up the huge hickey on the side of your neck.”

Tim felt his face blush as Gibbs and Tony laughed. They both spent the rest of the morning teasing Tim about it.

Abby came in with Caitlin just before lunch. She noticed Tim’s neck and gave him a nervous look.

“Don’t worry, they’ve already seen it. I’ve been hearing about it all morning.” Tim told her before giving her a quick kiss on the cheek.

“Sorry, guess I got carried away.” She saw Tony smirking at his desk. “Shut up Tony. You know you’re just jealous,” she teased him playfully.

Tony stood up and walked over to Abby. “Me? Jealous of McGee? Don’t think so.” He gave her a hug and she smiled at him.

“Since you want to make fun of my husband, you can hold Caitlin for me while I go get Ducky.”

She handed the baby to Tony and he made a face. “Come on Abbs, I have no idea what I’m doing, what if I break her?”

Tim laughed and Gibbs rolled his eyes. “It doesn’t take a rocket scientist DiNozzo.” Gibbs said before walking over to Tony and gently taking the baby from him. He cradled Caitlin and rocked her as he walked over and sat at his desk. The three of them stared at Gibbs. “What?”

“Nothing.” all three said in unison. Abby smiled as she watched Gibbs gently rock the baby and speak softly to her. He seemed like it was so natural. She made a mental note to ask him about certain things later on. She went down to autopsy to get Ducky then they all headed out to lunch.

Over lunch, Tim and Abby explained some of the details of the wedding. They were going to have a small, informal gathering. It was to be held outside at a small bed and breakfast overlooking the Chesapeake Bay. They planned on having the ceremony timed so they would exchange vows at sunset. Abby, of course, was going to wear a black dress and they were writing their own vows. Abby chose Becca as her maid of honor. Tim asked Tony to be his best man. He accepted, saying it would be an honor.

Abby surprised Gibbs and Ducky by asking them both to walk her down the aisle. They both readily agreed as well. Tim swore he saw tears in Gibbs eyes, not that he would ever call him on it. They finished lunch and Abby kissed Tim goodbye before taking Caitlin back home and Tim, Tony, Gibbs and Ducky headed back to the office.